Tracknum: override
Pubdate: Wed, 17 Oct 2001
Source: Independent, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2001 Conolly Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.eastnorthumberland.com/thisweek.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1596
Author: Joanne Sauve

EXEMPTEES FACE NEW WAR WITH ILLEGAL USERS OF MARIJUANA

I am what is known as an exemptee. Under Section 56 of Canada=92s Controlled

Drugs and Substance Act I am allowed to smoke marijuana for medical
purposes. For me,  all other means of medication to relieve my pain have
been exhausted. To help others, and myself I leased some land in
Northumberland County with a group of forty other exemptees, and hired a
gardener to grow marijuana legally. Unfortunately, those people who want to

use the substance illegally have regularly been stealing our crop by
sneaking into our garden late at night. There has been a war on drugs for
many years, and we assumed the war was with the police. But I am finding
out that our enemies seem to be illegal users of the plant. We, the sick,
have fought hard to get here. To have people crawl and hide to steal our
medicine is frustrating. So I plead with those people, please leave our
medicine alone. It=92s as bad as robbing graves. People who are doing
this=85you know who you are, and that this is a protected area. So please,

think before you act, and be more sympathetic. Maybe some day you will need

this service.

Joanne Sauve, Sturgeon Falls