Pubdate: Wed, 05 Feb 2014
Source: Alberni Valley Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Glacier Community Media
Contact:  http://www.avtimes.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4043
Author: Eric Plummer

MEDICINAL POT ADVOCATES CONCERNED WITH NEW LAWS

All Personal Permits to Produce Marijuana Expire March 31

Marijuana advocates fear upcoming laws affecting the legal growing of 
medicinal pot will turn patients with debilitating diseases into criminals.

Health Canada grants permits to use pot to ease the symptoms of 
certain medical conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord 
injuries, cancer, AIDS, arthritis and epilepsy. This can include 
federal permission to grow marijuana, but restrictions that come into 
effect on April 1 will prevent users from legally growing pot in 
their homes. Local police are preparing to enforce the new laws, 
causing concern among some Valley residents.

"After April 1 there's going to be a severe crackdown, I'm sure of 
it," said Valley resident Mik Mann, who is part of the Coalition to 
Fight the MMPR (Marijuana for Medicinal Purposes Regulations). "If 
the federal government sees fit to fill up the jails with sick, ill 
and suffering Canadians, then I guess that's what's going to happen."

The Port Alberni RCMP sent a message to the public this week asking 
residents to be "nosey neighbours" and inform police of any marijuana 
growing operations active after April 1. According to Cpl. Jen Allan, 
local police have not been told the whereabouts of medicinal 
producers approved under Health Canada's old rules.

"Under the current legislation, the RCMP is not provided with 
information or lists that identify the medicinal growers," she said. 
"We have never been mandated to enforce those regulations, only the 
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act."

Except for commercial producers approved by Health Canada, all 
licenses to grow medicinal pot expire on March 31. Only four 
companies have been approved by the federal government, with more 
than 400 applications on file, including one proposed operation from 
Port Alberni to be set up on Bute Street near Fourth Avenue.

Sensible B.C. campaigned last year for a provincial referendum on 
decriminalizing marijuana use, Port Alberni being the first Vancouver 
Island community to meet the organization's petition target. Sensible 
B.C.'s director Dana Larson expects a shortage in legal suppliers 
will drive up prices.

"It's going to be more than the cost to grow it yourself, that's for 
sure," he said. "There's certainly a lot of nervous patients out 
there, I can't blame them."

Health Canada is introducing the new laws to gain more control over 
the growing of medicinal marijuana, a practice that has increased 
exponentially since 2001. Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq has 
stated that home growing operations bring safety hazards to 
communities, a believe echoed by Port Alberni RCMP.

"The occupants of a marijuana grow operation are more susceptible to 
extortion and home invasion," said Allan. "Since marijuana grow 
operations are targets for 'grow rips' [a home invasion to steal a 
crop], booby traps are sometimes used to injure or kill unsuspecting 
visitors or first responders."

Larson contends the new laws will encourage more criminal activity 
anyway. "Once they take away those permits, people are going to go 
back to the black market," he said. "It's going to go back to a more 
unregulated, less easier to control system - which is going to be a 
total prohibition system."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom