Pubdate: Mon, 27 Aug 2001
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 The Province
Contact:  http://www.vancouverprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: DENE MOORE

B.C. ENTREPRENEURS MARKET POT-GROWING MACHINE TO MEDICAL USERS

VANCOUVER (CP) - John Brusatore has a budding career because of Canada's 
new medical marijuana laws. The British Columbia entrepreneur is marketing 
his Power Grow system as a foolproof way for medical marijuana users to 
grow their own supply.

In its first six weeks of operation, All-Round Industries has done more 
than $1 million in business. "People that do medically need (marijuana), 
they don't have to go out on the street for it or they're not going to try 
and set up some two-bit wiring job in their house and burn their house 
down," said Brusatore.

The Power Grow is fully automated and has a ventilation system to prevent 
the telltale smell of a marijuana-growing operation.

"You just plug it into the wall and it'll grow one to two pounds of 
marijuana every six to eight weeks with no pesticides," said Brusatore, who 
included information on the system at http://www.powergrowsystem.net.

Each unit, resembling a wide refrigerator with two separate compartments, 
sells for about $4,000.

Brusatore and his partner, Jason Bleuler, have franchises opening in 
Alberta, Ontario and Quebec and they plan to expand into the United States.

The idea was sparked by Canada's medicinal marijuana policy, which came 
into effect earlier this month.

People with a terminal or debilitating illnesses such as multiple sclerosis 
or AIDS can apply for the legal right to possess and cultivate marijuana 
for their own medical use.

It opened the door for All-Round to get a legal piece of the $200-billion 
pot industry.

Although pot plants decorate the company's Web site, the system is just a 
plant-growing machine and "it's not up to us to police who's using it," 
Brusatore said.

Medicinal marijuana users can legally grow pot, said Eric Nash, who, along 
with partner Wendy Little, has created an online directory for medical pot 
users.

http://Www.medicalmarihuana.ca is a searchable database of information, 
complete with Health Canada application forms.

"I've had a lot of relatives die of cancer - my mother most recently," said 
Nash.

When another elderly relative suffering from advanced Parkinson's disease 
mentioned trying marijuana, Nash and Little went looking for more information.

It wasn't easy, so Nash, a Web designer, and Little, a teacher, decided to 
save others the trouble.

The directory also puts medical users in touch with experienced "green thumbs."

Police say it is up to those who have medical exemptions from drug laws to 
ensure they stay within the law.

"If people are allowed to grow marijuana, they have the permits, there 
wouldn't be anything wrong with them getting a piece of equipment that 
would allow them to do that," said Sgt. Mike Dunbar of the RCMP 
drug-enforcement section in Vancouver.

But a kilogram every couple of months far exceeds the amount they are 
permitted to have, he said.

"A couple of pounds every couple of months is more than one person is going 
to use for themselves, so what do you do with the excess?" said Dunbar.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart