Monday July 24, 2006
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Monday July 24, 2006
The Creation of Chris (Goodwin) – Pot cafe owner’s trial adjourned
Chris Goodwin will have to wait another month to fight a charge of possession of cannabis resin after his trial was adjourned yesterday.Goodwin, a fierce advocate for the decriminalization of marijuana and owner of downtown’s Up in Smoke pot cafe, had been charged in connection with a June 24 incident in which police entered his cafe and found filters in an ashtray with traces of cannabis resin.
While Goodwin, 26, says the ashtray was his, he maintains the contents were left behind by medicinal marijuana users who frequented his cafe.
Yesterday, Goodwin’s lawyer, Peter Boushy, asked the Crown to adjourn the case until Aug. 29 after he learned the trial judge slated to hear the case had presided over pretrial proceedings.
“Normally when you appear before a judge for a pretrial, you can’t appear before him for the actual trial,” Boushy explained.
Goodwin also faces a number of other marijuana-related charges. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)