Pubdate: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 Source: National Post (Canada) Copyright: 2008 Southam Inc. Contact: http://www.nationalpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n055/a06.html Author: Chris Buors Hang Onto Your Roach Clip: THE POT DEBATE IS HEATING UP Re: Not A Supporter Of Compassion Clubs, letter to the editor, Jan. 16. Letter-writer Jim Wakeford doesn't seem to appreciate the fact that the purpose of compassion clubs is to make cannabis easily accessible to the ill. I operated the Manitoba Compassion Club out of my home in Winnipeg. I suffered a home invasion as has just about every club operator. I was arrested and sentenced to six months in jail with three years of probation. That was the price I was willing to pay to make cannabis available to the ill. The Manitoba Compassion Club operated out of my home because I did not have the capital to open a storefront. Getting robbed of my worldly possessions and going to jail on top of it is not exactly fleecing the poor. Not one person put a single dollar toward the Compassion Club and I operated it on pure heart with no cash. I did so because of my strong political beliefs that self-medication is a natural right, not a gift from the chief magistrate. Since my arrest no one else has bothered to serve the ill of Manitoba. I guess Mr. Wakeford could care less about that since he is legally exempted from our country's pot laws. Chris Buors, Winnipeg. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake