Pubdate: Tue, 23 Apr 2002
Source: Victoria News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002 Victoria News
Contact:  http://www.vicnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1267
Author: Don Descoteau
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

POLICE REVIEW MEDICAL POT POLICIES

No new federal laws pertaining to the possession and use of marijuana have 
come down since Health Canada began giving medical exemptions several years 
ago.

Nonetheless, a city council motion calling on the federal government to 
re-write its marijuana laws has prompted the Victoria police to revisit 
current regulations for the use and possession of cannabis for medicinal 
purposes.

"We've just got to get up to steam as to what the regulations are and we'll 
amend our practices accordingly," says Victoria police chief Paul Battershill.

"We've got one of our sergeants reviewing (the regulations) and he's going 
to be presenting a report to our senior management team next week, to go 
over what the implications will be to our operational policing."

The original civic motion brought forward by Coun. Rob Fleming asked 
council to support the decriminalization of all marijuana use and 
possession. After suggestions from councillors Helen Hughes and Pam Madoff 
that the wording be changed to read "for medicinal purposes" only, Fleming 
agreed to amend the motion.

Fleming admits the decision by council to support making the use of 
marijuana for medicinal purposes legal was not intended as a directive to 
police telling them how to act. He calls it a "policy position" designed to 
convince the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to lobby the federal 
government and Health Canada to revisit current laws.

"I think it's one of those things where the federal government is saying 
the right things around compassion for sick people, but they've been 
dreadfully slow and overcautious on anything meaningful being implemented," 
he says.

While not intended to force the police's hand, it remains unclear whether 
council's decision will affect the way Victoria police deal with the 
operation of so-called "compassion" clubs, organizations set up -- albeit 
illegally under current laws -- to distribute marijuana to terminally ill 
individuals and those suffering from other painful conditions.

The emergence of such clubs stems from what operators say are distribution 
problems due to having just one federally-licensed grower and distributor 
- -- Prairie Plant Systems in Flin Flon, Man. -- and unreasonable delays for 
patients seeking federal exemption from prosecution for medicinal use of 
marijuana.

Ted Smith, co-founder of the Cannabis Buyers Club in Victoria, estimates 
only two to three dozen of his club's nearly 1,000 members have 
government-issued exemptions.

Victoria police have on numerous occasions charged Smith with possession of 
marijuana for the purposes of trafficking.

While Smith says he applauds the move by city council to recognize the 
difficulty in getting the drug to those in need, he concedes it remains to 
be seen what the practical implications are, if any.

"With every victory we have in this movement, it could create a backlash," 
he says. "It kind of puts the police in a hard position. It's asking them 
to make a decision whether someone is using marijuana for medical reasons 
or not."

Smith says his organization will likely target Esquimalt next, to request 
civic support for decriminalizing marijuana.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom