Pubdate: Fri, 10 Dec 2010 Source: Parksville Qualicum Beach News (CN BC) Copyright: 2010 Black Press Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/5ZThWm9Z Website: http://drugsense.org/url/3xEEhi0m Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1361 Author: Auren Ruvinsky COMPASSION MOVES TO NANAIMO Bob Estes moved his Organic Matters Compassionate Access Centre for medical marijuana from Errington to downtown Nanaimo to be closer to where he foundmost of his customers were coming from. There's been a lot of change in the area,=94 he said explaining that when he opened in May he turned away over 100 people because there were no doctors that would support it =AD a necessary step. Now I'm able to connect people with supportive doctors and help them get the Health Canada license.=94 Organic Matters signs up members with a variety of health issues including MS and cancer, with the support of a doctor, which the local RCMP have previously said they don't support. This type of activity is in contravention of the controlled substances act, it is trafficking in a controlled substance,=94 said Cpl. Richard Van de Pol with the Oceanside detachment. The only people allowed to possess marijuana are directly licensed by Health Canada. Anyone else is =93in possession of a controlled substance,=94 said Van de Pol in the spring. Estes said while he does encourage people to go through the Health Canada process, the membership process he follows has held up in a number of court cases across the country and the authorities haven't bothered him. He said while he is actually making a decent living, =93I'm not in it for the pay cheque, I enjoy helping people get the Health Canada license.=94 The new location is open at #7-140 Wallace St., Nanaimo. Call 250-754-8420 for info. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart