Pubdate: Wed, 12 Sep 2012
Source: Oak Bay News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Oak Bay News
Contact:  http://www.oakbaynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1346

TAX ON MEDICAL POT NO JOKE FOR USERS

When a club that sells medical marijuana completely spaces out on 
paying $150,000 in income taxes, stoner jokes aren't far behind.

But for the thousands of people who use marijuana to ease chronic 
pain from illness and side effects of legal medication, the 
possibility of losing ready access to medical pot doesn't bring out 
the giggles.

Leon "Ted" Smith and his Victoria-based Cannabis Buyers' Club of 
Canada has sold marijuana products for 16 years to thousands of 
people who can prove they have certain permanent diseases or chronic ailment.

Smith admits in the media and on his website that he's avoided paying 
taxes to the Canada Revenue Agency for years and wrote: "(I) assumed 
I would end up in jail for it."

This kind of sloppy bookkeeping does little to improve the public 
image of selling or using medical marijuana. Hopefully this won't 
undo the good work Smith has done helping suffering people and 
challenging ethically-dubious laws that snares marijuana in a grey 
area of legality.

Indeed, among the number of court cases involving Smith and the CBCC, 
this year a trial involving the CBCC's head baker had restrictive 
parts of federal medical marijuana law deemed unconstitutional.

This is typical of laws that try to have it both ways. Health Canada 
allows people to purchase and/or grow marijuana for medical purposes, 
which is a tacit admission that marijuana can help some sick people - 
while the agency discourages its use. Doctors in B.C. can prescribe 
marijuana, but the doctors' college discourages that due to legal 
liability and a lack of scientific studies.

Sick people having some access to pot is better than none, but 
inconsistent messages from health authorities and the federal 
government opens the door for advocates such as Smith to operate 
businesses that are effectively illegal.

As Smith noted, out of his tax troubles the club will become a 
non-profit, run by a board. This is good news for the many legitimate 
pot users in this city who don't have to risk the dangers of buying 
from dealers on the street. 
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom