Pubdate: Wed, 26 Aug 2009
Source: Grand Forks Gazette (CN BC)
Page: 11
Copyright: 2009 Sterling Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.mapinc.org/media/525
Note: The newspaper does not have an active website.
Author: Shella Gardezi
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

MARIJUANA TASK FORCE FORMED

City Council voted to allow Coun. Joy Davies to proceed with a task 
force on medical marijuana, but not as an official city committee.

The purpose of the task force is to find "solutions and options for 
local access to medical marijuana," said Davies.

Davies refused to reveal the identities of the people on the task 
force. However, at an earlier meeting she released a list of the 
following invitees: two members of council; Member of Parliament Alex 
Atamanenko; Member of the Legislative Assembly John Slater; a doctor; 
a counsellor/psychologist; a medical user; fire chief; law 
enforcement officer or lawyer; senior's representative; hospital 
representative; Interior Health Authority (IHA) representative; 
representative of the Doukhobor community; and a master grower.  Of 
this list, she said all were "on board" except Slater, who wishes to 
be kept informed of the task force's research.

"I will not release the names of all the people who wish to 
participate in this professional recommendation to city council," she 
said.  "I do not want any citizen going through what I have had to 
endure over these last few months because we are trying to find a way 
to get medicine to senior citizens in the city of Grand Forks."

She said she had "been on the end of both public and private slights, 
shots, discrimination, screaming at and anger." Although not an 
official committee of council, Davies said the task force would be 
bringing forward "multi-purpose" recommendations to city, including 
lobbying at the Association of Kootenay and Boundary Local 
Governments and Union of British Columbia Municipalities. Davies said 
she didn't think the committee would want to do its work without a 
stronger endorsement by council. "I don't think MLAs and MPs just 
want to get involved in a community task force on issues such as 
this," she said. "They want political will."

Coun. Christine Thompson argued that accepting the resolution without 
officially endorsing the task force would allow the group to form and 
work on the issue without the unanimous support of council.

"I would encourage those who have agreed to work with Coun. Davies to 
do so and to bring something back to council," she said.

Despite her objections, Davies voted to accept the resolution without 
endorsing the task force and said the committee would likely bring a 
report to council in four months.

Coun. Gene Robert, Cher Wyers and Michael Wirischagin voted against the motion.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom