Pubdate: Sat, 07 Feb 2009 Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN) Copyright: 2009 The Leader-Post Ltd. Contact: http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361 Author: Joe Couture Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada) 'VIOLATED' MAN SAYS POLICE NEED MORE EDUCATION ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA The level of police education about medical marijuana rules is being questioned by one Regina-area man after an incident during a traffic stop earlier this week left him feeling disheartened. "I felt helpless, sad, violated," said the man, who asked to be identified only as James. "I've never felt that feeling. I didn't sleep the night before last; I just felt so violated. Here you've taken a hard-working, early-30s tradesman who believes in the system, and I just got treated as a drug addict or something." A police cruiser pulled James over in north Regina shortly after 4 p.m. on Wednesday for what James said they described as a routine stop. While searching through the glove box for his registration, James pulled out a couple of grams of marijuana he forgot was inside and placed it on the seat beside him. For the last three years, James has had a medical licence from Health Canada that permits him to carry up to 150 grams of cannabis, or the equivalent of one month's supply, at any time. He's even taken pot on a plane before. "I'm not breaking the law," James stated. "I don't smoke and drive. I have the right to do this, so I figure I have to follow all the laws. I've never done anything illegal since I've had my licence." The police officer asked James to step out of the truck and put his hands against the vehicle. James produced his medical marijuana licence, a card about the size of a driver's licence photo ID. Despite that, the police searched his pockets and patted him down before putting him in the back of the cruiser for between 20 and 30 minutes, he said, while the officers searched his truck. "It was the worst feeling in my life," James said. "I've never been in any type of law problems ... and I got treated like a criminal. I found it disheartening." The officers eventually let James go. The next day, he went down to the police station to file a complaint, as he wants to raise awareness about medical marijuana. The officers who stopped him indicated they weren't familiar with the licence card, he said. "I don't want to disrespect the police in anyway," he said. "I'm not looking to get anyone in trouble here. All that's needed is more education." James said increased awareness is especially important, as there are numerous doctors in Saskatchewan writing prescriptions for cannabis, and many medical users of the controlled substance. He wants a memo to go out to everyone in the police force about the issue. The police received his complaint, and it is under investigation, said Regina Police Service spokeswoman Lara Guzik Rostad. Officers have grounds to search a person and a vehicle if something is in plain view, or there is a smell of narcotics or alcohol, she explained. There aren't any rules specific to medical marijuana and traffic stops, and officers must consider many factors, she added. "There's many different things that come into question, and every situation is different," she said. Regina police currently don't have in-house training specific to medical cannabis, she added. "That being said, there's always opportunity to learn more and to understand more." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin