Pubdate: Fri, 16 Jul 2010
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2010 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Linda Nguyen, Postmedia News
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

TOKE IN THE BIG SMOKE: HEMP EXPO BLOWS INTO T.O.

A three-day expo, which kicks off Friday in Toronto, is being billed 
as the first convention in Canada to promote the use of medical 
marijuana, with organizers expecting as many as 30,000 people from 
around the world to attend.

The Medical Marijuana and Hemp Show will be held at the Metro 
Convention Centre, the same downtown location where leaders from the 
G20 countries met just three weeks ago.

The size and scope of the event, featuring exhibitors from around the 
globe, educational seminars with doctors and even a hemp fashion and 
cooking show, is a big step toward legitimatizing the 
multimillion-dollar industry, said event organizer Marco Renda.

"We're trying to educate people on responsible use," said Renda, 50. 
"These people could be your neighbours, your lawyers, your mothers 
and fathers. They could be your doctors."

Renda, a Toronto resident who publishes a magazine for cannabis users 
called Treating Yourself, said the prohibition of the herb has made 
users uneducated and afraid to share their experiences with others.

"This expo is a family event. I encourage parents to bring their 
children," said Renda, who uses cannabis to treat arthritis. "There's 
no marijuana being sold or distributed at the show. Everything we're 
doing is within the law."

People from Hawaii, Hong Kong and the U.K. were expected to arrive 
for the expo, to feature a 4,600-square-foot vapour lounge, allowing 
patients with a licence, to use medicinal marijuana on-site in a 
communal environment. Attendees will have to supply their own product.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom