Pubdate: Sun, 13 Dec 2015
Source: Morning Star, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 The Morning Star
Contact:  http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1352
Author: Roger Knox
Page: A1

MARCH DRAWS SUPPORT

Over the summer, Tanniel St. John, 13, was suffering from
non-epileptic seizures.

Like 170 seizures a day suffering.

When she started taking medical marijuana oil three times a day in
September, the number of seizures dropped to 20 small ones per day.

St. John and her mom, Elizabeth Baker, both from Vernon, were among
the close to 50 people taking part in a peaceful awareness walk at
noon Friday at Vernon City Hall, organized by a coalition of Vernon
medical cannabis dispensaries and compassion shops.

The five Vernon outlets were given verbal warnings from RCMP in
November that their businesses were in danger of being shut down.

"It's like a raft for us," said Baker of the oil that helps her
daughter. "We had to watch her 24 hours a day, now we can go to the
other side of the house without worrying about her."

Jeff Gaudette is one of the owners of MMJ Total Health Care in
downtown Vernon, and one of the organizers of Friday's walk.

Since the RCMP visited the five Vernon outlets, a rotation for not
selling medical cannabis has been in place among the stores, but
patients continue to receive support and access to other products.

"As a storefront owner, I'm a patient too," said Gaudette. "I'm
representing everyone that's here. You have to live through
compassion. If you don't live through compassion, you're going to
misunderstand the times."

Friday's peaceful movement, said Gaudette, was not geared at the RCMP
who, he said, were simply doing their job of enforcing the law when
they paid their visit in November.

"We're hoping this falls on the right eyes through the political
ladder, turns some heads and get attention for the patients," he said.

"It's really hard to understand until you've been on the other side of
the counter helping these people. I can't expect everyone to know how
I feel or how much passion we have as storefront owners until you've
been behind the counter and seen people and help change their lives.
There's no feeling like it."

Barry Porter is one who has been helped.

Porter has diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage caused by diabetes) that
affects his stomach. He says if he doesn't smoke pot, he gets very
nauseous and can't eat which is dangerous when you are diabetic.

"If I don't smoke I can't look after myself or my mother," said
Porter. "I don't get stoned or buzzed off it. It helps my stomach."

Roy You has severe nerve damage in his legs and back after being run
over in 2008. You said his body can't handle the side effects of
traditional pain medication because it's too hard on his stomach and
there are too many other side effects.

"I know it's clean and safe," said You of medical cannabis. "If I lose
this medicine and have to get it from somewhere else, it could be
laced with something.

"I can talk to you right now because I can stand the pain and it isn't
frustrating me."

Derek Gauchee is a semi-retired Vernon resident who calls himself a
regular marijuana user since the 1970s, and has been using medical
marijuana for the past three or four years for help with a "private
medical issue."

He turned out Friday to show his support for Gaudette and fellow
patients.

"I've had great results," said Gauchee. "I started to learn about
various medical strains that are available and how you can address
certain issues with certain types without getting all wiped out and
pot-headed. It can help you function without disrupting the rest of
your life.

"I was happy as a clam about it until all this disruption."

The stores not selling medicinal cannabis on a rotating basis has
caused Gauchee to scramble for not only his prescription, but for that
of a dear friend, recently diagnosed with a two-inch brain tumour.

"I know through a lot of research I've done that pot cannabinoids
inhibit growth of tumours," he said. "I've been pushing him to get on
it, he was hesitant but he did, and he was enjoying the benefits of
being less stressed out about his whole predicament, which isn't good.

"This disruption has caused chaos in his and his wife's life to get
the product. I feel it's unnecessary. He has a chance to have it
possibly corrected and this crap is getting in the way."

Gaudette said clients still get medicine under the current system.
They will be directed to one of the open stores.

The coalition plans to meet Monday to discuss its next move in the
matter. It has called for the RCMP to halt further action until new
federal legislation legalizing marijuana has been introduced.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt