Fortunately, several friends (including my lovely doula-woman, Tammy) testified, but werre subjected to a great deal of suspicion!
MEDICAL EXEMPTEE NEEDS HELP!!!
My name is Rick Reimer, and I'm a multiple sclerosis sufferer who has held a medical marijuana exemption since March 2000. I'm also a retired criminal defence lawyer, who specialized in ganja cases during my career. In February this year I was stopped by local police while driving. I was smoking a joint at the time, as permitted by my exemption. As I knew I was doing nothing wrong, I continued smoking my joint after being pulled over. The officer insists I was weaving over the center line, but any suggestion that my driving was impaired by cannabis is ridiculous. This took place at 11:30 a.m. on a weekday with my girlfriend riding as passenger. I smoke about 5 grams per day, commencing first thing in the morning and concluding at bedtime. I have driven hundreds of thousands of kilometers while smoking cannabis, without incident. In any event, I was charged with driving while my ability was impaired by marijuana. My trial will take place in Killaloe, Ontario, Canada on September 25 and 26, 2002. While I concede that Canada needs some kind of ganja/driving law of general application, in order to convict me of this charge, the crown must prove impairment of ability beyond reasonable doubt, in the face of my protestations that marijuana consumption does not impair my driving abilities. Some studies show that while marijuana consumption marginally impairs some driving abilities, such impairment is more than compensated for by increased vigilance, decreased speed, etc. But the law concerns itself with impairment and not susceptibility to mishap and therefore, ironically, a driver may be legally impaired and subject to prosecution, although he or she is statistically less likely to hurt self or others in an accident by virtue of having smoked cannabis. I can unequivocally say that marijuana has ABSOLUTELY NO IMPACT on my driving abilities, but I still run the risk of conviction if the judge instead believes the prosecution's (non-smoking) professional witness who expresses the opinion that marijuana must impair driving ability. Therefore, I am looking for both professional and lay support for the proposition that some people, particularly heavy marijuana smokers, are able to smoke without their driving abilities being impaired. Ideally, witnesses would be prepared to appear in court in Killaloe on September 26, 2002 (normally, in Canadian courts, witnesses must appear in person) but if I received a whole whack of individual written testimonials from people able to smoke and drive, I could perhaps persuade the court to consider them. . If I am going to try to submit letters to the court, they would have to be in my hands by August 15, 2002.
Please spread the word and help if you can. This could be just the straw that breaks the government's back and brings about decriminalization generally. At the very least, it will force a more realistic medical marijuana scheme.
I am happy to discuss this in more detail at any time.
Rick Reimer
May 27, 2002.
The Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs
Dear Sirs and Madams:
As this Committee's discussion paper states "…opinions on drugs are often based on a lack of rigorous information or on myths…". In my opinion, this unfortunate state of affairs (upon what other important topic is western society so poorly informed?) stems from the suppression, by successive governments, of genuine debate or legitimate scientific study. Fortunately, some legislators, activists, and scientists have continued the debate despite government resistance and intimidation. I applaud the Senate for its courage.
My own opinions are based upon 30-odd years of regular cannabis use coupled with a career as a criminal defence lawyer, specializing in drug work. A diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis ended my law career but resulted in my receiving one of Canada's first medicinal marijuana exemptions and strengthened my resolve to strive for decriminalization of this harmless and beneficial plant for other persons and for all purposes. I limit my comments to cannabis, as it is the only illegal drug with which I have significant experience.
I respond to your questions as follows:
1. I agree with the research conclusions contained in your discussion paper, with the following caveats:
Ø The psycho-active effects of cannabis are so limited and manageable, that it is "better not to use" only for those who derive no significant health benefits.
Ø I do not believe anyone becomes "addicted" to cannabis. I know that after 3 decades of use, I am able to stop "cold turkey" any time I choose, and though my health may suffer, I am still able to deny myself cannabis.
I especially endorse the finding that the illegal status of cannabis contributes to the fuelling of organized crime. Take, as an example, the recent plight of Quebec farmers. They have complained that biker gangs plant marijuana in their corn fields. The bikers then pay an ominous visit to announce their return at harvest time and to promise dire consequences upon the farmer and family if the plants are reported or tampered with. The authorities point to this as a "marijuana problem". That's tantamount to decrying kidnapping as a "child problem". It is, in fact, an organized crime and extortion problem. The only viable path to preventing such crime is to decriminalize the currency and thus deny any significant financial incentive to those prepared to risk production and/or sale. I believe that decriminalization would result in the majority of users growing their own cannabis, with trafficking becoming the kind of relatively insignificant problem that bootlegging of alcohol currently presents.
The source of my opinions is as outlined above. I have encountered, in my life and career, every aspect of marijuana use and the impact of such use both individually and societally.
2. Yes, I fully endorse the view that criminalization and penalization of cannabis use are unsupportable. For reasons discussed herein, I feel the use of cannabis is beneficial rather than detrimental to society, particularly if one begins with acceptance of the notion that mood-altering substances have been used by all societies throughout history. Aside entirely, however, from the objective "value" of cannabis use, criminalization is ineffective in reducing use. Furthermore, criminalization is in direct violation of the "harm" notion of crime and punishment. If society, through the democratic process, determines that cannabis use should be discouraged (a finding unlikely to follow a period of lessened restrictions and genuine education) then methods of discouragement more effective and less damaging than criminalization can easily be found.
3. The current "Prohibition" approach sees untold tax dollars and human dignity squandered in a vain attempt to stem the flow of a contraband item that is clearly desired. Prohibition assumes we are a bunch of moral paupers who need legislation to make our choices about potentially dangerous things for us. This is ludicrous. We make such choices for ourselves (with the potential to impact on others) every time we open a package of cigarettes or start a car or walk across a busy highway. Those of us prone to languish in a permanent drug-induced stupour can already do so using any number of legal and readily available intoxicants. Most of us are not so inclined, and the number of those who are does not depend upon the drug choices available to them. Easy access to cannabis won't turn us into a society of drug addicts any more than easy access to alcohol creates runaway alcoholism. The current policy approach causes harm to individuals by criminalizing them, and harm to society by diverting resources which could profitably be used elsewhere.
4. I will relate to the Committee, when I appear on May 30th, the sad circumstances of my last day on the job as a criminal defence lawyer in what is supposedly a compassionate "Youth Court". A clear and poignant demonstration that the hypocrisy of penal prohibition is not the way to deal with this issue. Youth will always experiment with contraband. Why punish so harshly the most sensible of those choices that our youth could make?
5. Public policies will never prevent use, so why waste time aiming in that direction? Instead, as experiments in nations such as The Netherlands have shown, societal acceptance of drug use coupled with harm reduction strategies have meant drug use exacts a lighter toll upon the individual user and upon society generally.
6. Again, the experience of The Netherlands demonstrates that relaxed attitudes toward cannabis have little effect upon use patterns. Any elevation in use following decriminalization will be slight and temporary, with rates then returning to "normal" levels. Conversely, people will continue to use cannabis in spite of criminal sanctions. This does not legitimize those sanctions. Ironically, a decrease in "hard" drug use may be a serendipitous benefit of relaxed attitudes toward and increased availability of "soft" drugs such as cannabis.
7. In my opinion, the likely response to relaxed availability of cannabis in Canada would be a stern tongue-lashing from the American right and the D.E.A., followed by some hand-wringing and posturing by Uncle Sam, followed by heightened security on the American side of the border! The Americans have tolerated both tacit and explicit decriminalization of cannabis by European nations. I believe this demonstrates the Americans' concerns are primarily for their own "drug problem". The drug policies of other nations do not greatly concern them except insofar as they impact upon American soil. In the unlikely event the U.S. threatened any retaliatory measures against Canada, I believe other world powers would quickly rally behind us. Incidentally, such an auspicious start might turn Canadians away from the (largely unsuccessful) American-style justice model vis-à-vis other crimes, a turn which I personally would consider laudable. For these reasons, I believe the American reaction to be relatively insignificant.
8. I personally am incensed by attempts to suppress legitimate discussion about cannabis. This topic has long cried out for serious debate and, by setting a courageous example, the Senate will advance such debate. Politicians who continue to bury their heads in the sand do so at their peril. Having empowered this Committee, I do not believe the Commons would now dare ignore its findings. A recommendation from the Senate which accords with public opinion will be a powerful tool for change, no matter what resistance it meets. Nothing is as strong as an idea whose time has come.
I look forward to appearing before this honourable Committee on May 30th, and hope that I am able to assist the Senate.
Yours truly, Rick Reimer
Canadian flags abound in Alex Sztasko's paintings. Even his birdhouses are topped with them. Most importantly, a Canadian flag adorns the "Unity Wagon" he lovingly and painstakingly made to take to Ottawa for Canada Day. Alex felt the pain of a country fighting within itself (the separatist movement was thriving) and turned that into a mobile piece of art. Why so much patriotism and concern for the woes of an adopted country? As Alex told Wayne Rostad in a television interview: "In Hungary they called me a Czech. In Czechoslovakia they called me Hungarian. When I got to Toronto I finally felt home."
This sympathy for an adopted home comes as no surprise. Alex's son, Csaba, describes one of his father's paintings depicting a native crucified and surrounded by the remnants of a burnt-out forest. It shows, says Csaba, a feeling for a native population with which Alex had probably had little contact. "He really liked native people."
Csaba sees Alex's artwork as "a chance to see things the way he was seeing them." A painting featuring a road eerily undulating above ground means his father must have felt like he was floating in mid-air when driving through Wilno. That sense is enhanced by fluffy, surreal clouds and hallucinogenic mushrooms. A portrait of a herdsman with one emaciated cow and an empty bottle reflects a time when the artist was drinking a lot. Csaba doesn't see any great meaning to his father's paintings, they were periodic snapshots of the way Alex was feeling and thinking from time to time.
When Alex left Hungary to move to Toronto, his wife Gabriella and Csaba stayed behind. They were unable to accompany him since (then communist) Hungary would not issue an exit visa to an entire family, for fear they wouldn't return. Gabriella and Csaba "skipped" the Hungarian border, stayed with one of Alex's sisters in Vienna, and then joined Alex in Canada in 1981. Csaba was seven years old.
Alex worked initially for the C.B.C. in Toronto, but moved to Rockingham in 1991, where the family built a home and studio, after an injury led to Alex's retirement.
The familiar landmarks around Rockingham and nearby Wilno appear countless times in numerous paintings, yet every view is unique. Some perspectives defy the viewer's imagination while demonstrating that of the artist. The Wilno tavern rises mysteriously heavenward. Alex Sztasko gives us a view from under the foundation that even the long-dead builders could never have actually seen. Yet somehow the painting conveys the "feeling" of the Wilno Tavern in a way that a geometrically correct depiction never could.
It was the rugged good looks of the land that brought Canada's first Polish settlers to the Wilno hills in the mid-19th century. Those same hills inspired a wealth of Alex Sztasko's paintings. Little surprise, then, that local residents and business owners grace their walls with his work. Corrine Higgins, owner of the Wilno Tavern, has three large Sztasko paintings on display.
The paintings invariably provoke questions and admiration from visitors to the area seeing this artist's work for the first time. They are struck by the whimsical nature of his work and his eye for colour., The Wilno-Killaloe-Rockingham area abounds with every type of artisan. What is special, according to Corrine, about Alex Sztasko's work is that his love of the area immediately shows through.
"The first time I met him, I was intimidated by his size" says Corrine, "but there was no hesitation once he smiled. He was an intelligent, insightful person with a joie de vivre that came out in everything."
Lillian Oakley, owner of the Wilno Craft Gallery, has spent 15 years buying and selling arts and crafts created by all manner of talented locals. She has displayed and sold Alex Sztasko's work (ranging from paintings to puppets to chessmen to clocks and birdhouses) constantly since shortly after the Sztasko family first moved to the area. "There were times when the walls were almost completely covered with his work", including a special exhibition of Alex's work held at the gallery. Lillian watched the progress of that work over the rest of Alex's life, and felt as if she could discern, from his work, the moods the artist was going through. "Some of his paintings you could live with in your home, and some should be in a gallery" she says, referring latterly to paintings with political or environmental themes that some might find disturbing.
Oakley says that because Sztasko put so much feeling into his work, his paintings created emotions and mixed responses from viewers, and that's what art is all about. "His work could be controversial. That's what attracts people to it. It wasn't run of the mill."
Any notion that a serious artist's life must be secluded is dispelled by the gusto with which Sztasko met life and the companions it placed beside him. From each creature or scene he encountered, he could elicit something interesting and capture it in his art. Late in his career he began creating marionettes, and, naturally, his models were not celebrities, but local residents, who are still instantly recognizable from their images. Constantly striving to improve his designs, he was experimenting with lighter materials and improving hinges to give a more real semblance of human movement, when he became ill.
Thomas Wuehr of Cobden is grateful for the day he stumbled upon the home of Viola, Alex's sister who was then living near Wilno. "I buy and sell antiques. I was door-knocking when I first saw one of Sztasko's paintings in there. It just floored me." That very evening Wuehr visited Alex and purchased the painting the artist had just then finished. "The paint was still wet."
That was the first of 21 paintings and ten other pieces of artwork Wuehr would eventually collect. "When I saw his stuff, I knew it was great. The best I ever saw."
Fellow artist Linda Sorensen unabashedly allows she was "…probably Alex's best puppeteer." She became his close friend shortly after he moved to the Rockingham area. "He was very inspirational to me as an artist because he was always busy with his work. His work was his life. In that sense he was a real artist." She remarks upon Sztasko's use of Canadian flags and recalls the trip to Ottawa for Canada Day along with Alex and other friends and the Unity Wagon. "Alex was always trying to get across some message of brotherhood and unity - his art wasn't just about him."
Because he was secure in his own work, he had the confidence to show interest in the work of other artists. Alex would often drop around to discuss Linda's work with her, and she grew to respect his opinion. "He was honest. He liked my work." She describes him as a "…genuine, sensitive kind of a guy."
Alex's work, according to Linda, showed an amazing sense of colour, and simplicity of design. There was a lightness and humour to it which was instantly recognizable. "His artwork was really fun. It made me laugh."
When Linda began learning use of an airbrush, Alex's experience as a professional artist (dating back to his C.B.C. days) was invaluable. Just before he became ill, Alex told her "Oh, Linda, I'm having such a good time here" referring to his move to the area, but perhaps unintentionally conveying a larger meaning. He began teaching Linda how to make molds, but never finished. "Unfortunately," she says, "he didn't stick around for me to pick his brain."
Andy Adach keeps a photograph of Alex Sztasko in his kitchen. His own charcoal sketch of Alex bears the eyes of a prophet. A professional dancer, painter and sculptor himself, Adach speaks of Sztasko's attention to detail - how he would plan out an entire painting in his sketch book: "…something a lot of great artists do and I don't." Alex never finished his marionette of Andy, he was trying to perfect a hinge mechanism to mimic the dancer's movements and allow head and body to move separately.
Adach says Sztasko's artwork was "teriffic" and captured the spirit of the countryside in a manner that was immediate. It captured the spirit of human experience also. He describes one of Sztasko's paintings depicting the Wilno Tavern and hills, along with a person whose boots appear to be half his own height. "That's just the way boots sometimes feel. Such shorthand, but it's also very poetic."
John Hall, also from "away" shared Alex's love for and feeling of belonging in the Wilno hills. "We found we had historical memories in common. Then we found we had artistic ideas in common. We shared a love for food and booze. I loved his wife's food. He loved my wife's booze."
Look at any Sztasko artwork. The style is immediately recognizable. The shapes are larger than life. The colours are brighter (or, at times, more 'gun-metal' dismal) than life. Animals and inanimate objects become suddenly eloquent in the hands of the artist. The Wilno hills couldn't have adopted a truer son to speak their glory.