Pubdate: Sat, 22 Mar 2014
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Daniel Proussalidis
Page: 2

HOMEGROWN VICTORY

Court reverses ban on grow-your-own medical pot

A Federal Court judge in Vancouver has issued an injunction against
the government's plans to end the practice of growing medical
marijuana at home.

The order came Friday, giving a coalition of people who smoke the drug
for medicinal purposes an exemption from new Health Canada rules.
Federal rules were set to eliminate 30,000 licences for homegrown pot
on April 1 in favour of commercial production of what the feds say
would be "quality-controlled" marijuana.

That made medical pot smokers nervous.

"I am very stressed about the plan to take away my ability to produce
my medicine," plaintiff Neil Allard said in his affidavit.

RCMP officer Shane Holmquist, however, told the court the current
system is rife with crime.

Holmquist testified that licence holders "are known to transport
shipments of marijuana for sale under the guise of their authorized
possession amount."

Health Minister Rona Ambrose did not immediately respond to the
Federal Court's decision.
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MAP posted-by: Matt