UP IN SMOKE CAFE in HAMILTON RAIDED!!!

[Wykid]

Up In Smoke Cafe in Hamilton Raided by Police
by Marc Emery (08 Mar, 2006) <table align="right" border="0" cellspacing="0" width="96%"> <tbody><tr><td>Reports came in after police answered telephone. Last updated at 12.44 a.m. Thursday eastern time

<table align="right"><tbody><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td align="center">The Up In Smoke Cafe, from CH News</td></tr></tbody></table>The Up In Smoke Cafe at 227 King St. East in Hamilton, Ontario was raided Wednesday, March 8th by police. Owner Chris Goodwin was arrested along with three employees, and taken to Hamilton Police Headquarters.

The charge against Goodwin is possession and trafficking. Stephanie Spicer ("Bong Pixie" on the CC Forums) is charged with possession and trafficking in pot cookies. Davin ("Maddchronic" on the CC Forums) is charged with possession.

After the nearby Sandbar Tavern in Hamilton was seized by police as a "crack house", a plain clothes police officer entered Up In Smoke. Chris, Davin and a volunteer Steve were smoking a joint. The plain clothes officer snatched the joint out of Davin's hand and said "You're all under arrest for possession of a controlled substance."

Goodwin was led away with the two others while police inspected the premises. They eventually took the cash register for the store and stayed inside the store for four hours. No warrant was presented to anyone.

Goodwin is being held overnight with a court appearance on Thursday morning for bail. Chris' previous charges for possession will likely incur the removal of his bail and it's possible Goodwin could be in jail for some time. His lawyer is Peter Bushie. Stephanie Spicer has been released from police custody but her release conditions prohibit her from going back to the store or within 2 blocks of the premises.

Chris Goodwin is the most visible and uncompromising cannabis legalization activist in Ontario. His shop, Up In Smoke Cafe, had been visited by Hamilton police over 200 times in its 18 month history, and over 30 customers have been charged with marijuana possession on various visits. Up In Smoke was selling seeds, bongs, pipes and had a private lounge for members to smoke and use vaporizers.

We are in contact with Chris Goodwin's parents and staff of the Up In Smoke Cafe, and will post more details here as they become available. To stay up to date, people can call Stephanie Spicer at 905-518-4132 or 905-574-4131.

Stephanie Spicer has determined that Matt Mernagh, Chris Lawson and John will open the Up In Smoke Cafe Thursday morning.

The phone number at Up In Smoke is 905-777-9119. Customers are urged to visit and donate to the legal defence fund for the four. Please go to Up In Smoke and buy merchandise, help put the Cafe back on its feet again. Cannabis Culture urges everyone in the movement to visit Up In Smoke as a homage to the great courage shown by Chris Goodwin, one of the pre-eminent cannabis activists in the world. Chris is one of the great ones, and we cannot let him down now.

Make "FREE CHRIS GOODWIN" and "Long Live the Up In Smoke Cafe" banners for protesting. Tim Meehen, Puff Mama, Alison Myrden and other activists will be converging at Up In Smoke Thursday.

To see a clip on the bust, go here, and we will provide news clips on Pot-TV as they come in.

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Atricle: HERE
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