Pubdate: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 Source: Grand Forks Gazette (CN BC) Copyright: 2009 Sterling Newspapers Contact: http://www.mapinc.org/media/525 Author: Shella Gardezi MARIJUANA RETURNS TO AGENDA A four-hour council meeting ended in acrimony on Monday after council voted to allow Coun. Joy Davies to do preliminary work on a medical marijuana task force. Davies will be approaching a number of stakeholders such as health officials, elected representatives and police, and asking them if they will be willing to sit on a committee. If approved, the committee will study the feasibility of providing legal, local, safe access to medical marijuana. However, Davies has only been empowered to ask stakeholders if they would be willing to sit. Davies said she was speaking on behalf of a group of citizens whose names would remain anonymous for their protection. Councillors Michael Wirischagin, Cher Wyers and Gene Robert voted against the motion. Wyers said the issue was "fracturing" council and distracting focus from important issues such as the possibility of a railway abandonment. After it was approved, Wirischagin and Robert demanded a recess before hearing the mayor's report. "How much time have we spent discussing medical marijuana?" asked Robert speaking out of order. Earlier Coun. Christine Thompson asked council and the community not to make the issue personal. "It does not have to be divisive," she said speaking in defence of Coun. Davies. "We are not discussing the issue of the legalization of illegal drugs." The meeting ended shortly before 11 p.m. and council agreed to continue the council meeting at 9 a.m. the next day. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr