Pubdate: Sun, 23 Mar 2014
Source: Winnipeg Sun (CN MB)
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.winnipegsun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.winnipegsun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/503
Author: Kristin Annable
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

FIRST WIN IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA BATTLE

Pro-pot advocates marched from city hall to the legislature on 
Saturday to promote grow-your-own medical marijuana.

After a legal reprieve Friday, a group of 25 people braved the chilly 
air to raise awareness of new Health Canada rules that are posed to 
stop people from being able to grow marijuana in private residences.

Organizer Steven Stairs, who is also CEO of the Marijuana Party of 
Canada for Kildonan/St. Paul, said they also wanted to raise 
awareness on the recent action taken by police against area head shops.

He has used medical marijuana to treat his severe glaucoma for the 
past five years and says both of these issues are key to his health.

"It's a catch-22, the government tells us to use vaporizers, but then 
they want to ban the only places to buy them," he said about the 
police's recent raids on head shops.

Growing his own marijuana costs him significantly less and Stairs 
said it would cripple him financially if he had to pay for it from 
approved commercial producers.

Medical marijuana users were dealt some good news on Friday when a 
federal court judge issued an injunction against the government's 
plan to end the practice of grow your-own medical marijuana.

Health Canada rules were set to eliminate the 30,000 current licenses 
for homegrown pot on April 1.

Friday's injunction will give these licensees an exemption until the 
Supreme Court of Canada makes a decision in the matter.

Stairs says this is a great step forward, but it isn't over yet.

"This injunction is a great achievement, is it the end of it all? No. 
It's the first victory in a battle that's been going on for decades," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom