Pubdate: Thu, 17 Feb 2011
Source: Vaughan Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2011 Metroland Media Group Ltd.
Contact: http://www.yorkregion.com/generalform
Website: http://www.yorkregion.com/community/vaughan
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2432
Author: Joe Fantauzzi
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

LEGAL GROW-OPS POSE RISKS: COPS

As the number of York Region marijuana operations continues to 
decline, debate about the medicinal use and cultivation of the drug grows.

Using marijuana has allowed Storm Peschel to begin working and his 
attendance at school has improved.

The 18-year-old York Region resident has multiple synostosis 
syndrome, a rare bone disorder that has dealt him chronic pain and 
joint discomfort.

About three years ago, after trying other medication, including 
codeine, to deal with his pain, he began using medicinal marijuana.

Since then, his quality of life has improved dramatically.

Cannabis has been very effective, he said.

His mother, Georgia, calls the small amounts of marijuana her son 
uses to ease his pain his "life-saving medicine".

While he doesn't grow the drug, he does hold a possession licence 
issued by the federal government.

The issue of medical marijuana, including its production as permitted 
under federal regulations, has caught the eye of York Regional Police.

While some York residents are licenced to grow medicinal marijuana, 
few here, including local police, are told about these operations.

Last year, two federally licenced indoor operations were discovered 
in Newmarket, a report presented to the York Regional Police services 
board last month shows.

For several years, the police service has pushed Ottawa to share the 
locations of licenced grows.

But, police say despite the pressure, the feds still aren't providing details.

Health Canada has said it will not provide the locations, citing 
privacy law. Anyone licenced for medical marijuana must abide by all 
federal, provincial and municipal laws, the ministry added.

York police has argued for several years that, to its knowledge, 
Health Canada does not regularly inspect licenced grow locations, 
which, legal or not, lead to health issues due to mould, higher 
levels of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, electrical hazards and 
others related to chemicals and pesticides.

As of January 2010, about 5,000 people across Canada, including about 
1,900 in Ontario, are licenced to possess medicinal marijuana while 
about 3,500 are licenced to produce pot for medical purposes, 
according to Health Canada's website.

Police realize some people will complain officers will be at the door 
if the federal government provides a list of licenced grows, Deputy 
Chief Bruce Herridge said.

But he questions if that is necessarily negative because there is no 
other oversight of these operations.

Police do not want to enter the health debate about marijuana usage 
when it is prescribed by medical professionals, he said.

But the lack of information from the federal government can make it 
difficult for officers to effectively perform their duties.

York police raided two grow operations in 2007, one in a Newmarket 
home and another in a home in Aurora, before realizing they were 
federally licenced, albeit to grow amounts smaller than found when 
the homes were raided.

A Newmarket home investigated last year turned out to be the same one 
raided in 2007, according to a police services board report.

Licence holders at that home are allowed to grow 75 plants and that's 
how many officers found, although one of the licences was expired.

Despite that, police let the grower keep the plants. Prosecutors told 
police there was no likelihood of conviction, but officers plan to 
continue to monitor the home.

At a second Newmarket home, police were called to help a Children's 
Aid investigator after a five-year-old was found living at a home 
where pot was being grown.

It was later determined an adult living at the home was licenced to 
grow 25 pot plants and was in compliance with federal regulations.

Meanwhile, Mr, Peschel said he believes education is a key to more 
understanding of the regulations and those licenced to use medicinal marijuana.

Ottawa's regulation of marijuana is spelled out in the Marihuana 
Medical Access Regulations, announced in 2001 under the former 
Liberal government.

These rules are meant to provide seriously ill people with a means to 
possess and produce marijuana for medical purposes, according to Health Canada.

Those who are ill, for whom conventional therapies are inappropriate 
or ineffective and have the support of a doctor, are issued 
authorization to possess on compassionate grounds.

Yet there is a lot of fear associated with the subject of medicinal 
pot -- by people using who fear a crackdown and by some in the public 
who believe marijuana is a dangerous criminal drug, according to Mr. Peschel.

He won't consider buying his medicine from a stranger on the streets 
because that person might be carrying a weapon or hard drugs, such as cocaine.

Wherever the debate goes from here and whatever the federal 
government decides to do about the request by York police to share 
the locations of licenced grow operations, Mr. Peschel's mother noted 
her son has shown a marked improvement since he began using medicinal 
marijuana.

"He is living proof," she said. "And, there are thousands (of people) 
who are living proof."
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