Pubdate: Mon, 16 Jul 2012
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2012 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/letters.html
Website: http://www.calgaryherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Author: Clara Ho

AIMING TO GROW MEDICAL MARIJUANA AWARENESS

National Seminars Are For Patients And Growers

A seminar on how to grow medical marijuana was held in Calgary this
past weekend and is being offered across the country, but event
organizers say those seeking an excuse to get high can look elsewhere.

"We're into the education, it's not a pot smoking party. It's an
educational party, I guess you could call it," said Don Schultz,
founder of Greenline Academy.

The Kelowna-based organization's two-day course, held this Saturday
and Sunday at the University of Calgary, is geared toward patients who
are either authorized or seeking authorization to use medical
marijuana, licensed growers who provide pot for patients, as well as
health professionals.

The sold out seminar covered the laws and regulations, the therapeutic
benefits of using the plants for different medical conditions, and the
newest cultivation techniques, Schultz said.

About 200 people attended the Calgary event.

Biologists and clinical herbologists, a master cultivator, and a
lawyer are among presenters who speak at the seminars, which are
planned for Montreal, Moncton, Toronto and Ottawa later this year.

The chance to learn how to grow medical weed is also presented as a
business opportunity, said Schultz, estimating designated growers can
make $1,000 to $4,000 income per month if they are growing it for
other patients.

"We're not advocates of legalizing it. We're just into the medical
marijuana industry and we look at it as medicine for patients," he
said.

Thousands of Canadians use pot to soothe the pains of arthritis,
cancer, multiple sclerosis and other ailments.

Patients can either grow the plants themselves or buy it from Health
Canada or from a designated grower.

There are 1,001 people in Alberta who are authorized to possess
marijuana, said Health Canada spokesman Stephane Shank, adding 466
Albertans have a personal use production licence, and 79 are
authorized to grow the plants for someone else.

But the city of Calgary has raised concerns about bylaw and safety
codes not being met at homes where legal grow operations are run.

Since October, three homes that were licensed to grow medical
marijuana had to be shut down for violating numerous safety codes. and
a fourth house is still under investigation, said Wayne Brown,
coordinator of the city's co-ordinated safety response team.

He said he would like to be able to see a list of legal growers in the
city so inspectors can check on them regularly, instead of just acting
on tips from the authorities.

Health Canada is currently in the consultative process of examining
improvements to the medical marijuana program, some of which addresses
Brown's concerns, Shank said.

Proposed improvements include ensuring that suppliers undergo
pre-qualification audits, pre-licence inspections and inspections or
audits on an ongoing basis.

"These improvements are basically intended to reduce risk of abuse,
keep children and communities safe, specifically while significantly
improving the way the program participants access marijuana for
medical purposes," he said.

"This move would, in brief, eliminate personal production licences and
designated person production licences ... and instead, licence
organizations that would be required in a similar fashion to obtain
authorization to grow."

Brown said he welcomes the move by Health Canada but worries that the
transition period will take too long.

He added he's also concerned about seeing a grandfathering clause that
would allow private legal grow ops to continue in residential properties.

As for Greenline Academy, Brown said there wasn't "any real harm"
having them hold seminars in town.

"I think there hasn't been a lot of good, strong information on how to
develop a medical grow op," he said.

"I think Don and Greenline are trying to fill a void that's certainly
there." 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D