Pubdate: Sat, 13 Feb 2016
Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Copyright: 2016 The StarPhoenix
Contact:  http://thestarphoenix.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400
Author: Charles Hamilton
Page: A10

MAN CLAIMS POLICE RAID RUINED $2K OF LEGAL POT DERIVATIVES

Lane Britnell says the Saskatoon police ruined $2,000 worth of his
legally obtained marijuana extracts following a raid of they city's
only medical marijuana dispensary.

The former employee of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club says when
police returned cannabis extracts that were seized from his home
during raids last October, he found that most of the cannabis products
were ruined.

"I would say 80 per cent of it was destroyed or rendered unusable,"
Britnell said.

His lawyer successfully applied to have a judge order police to return
the cannabis seized from his home during the Oct. 29 raids, he said.

The extracts and oils he received back were stuck to the plastic
evidence bags, two plastic gloves were also stuffed into the oil jars
the cannabis was returned in, and dried marijuana that had been
carefully sorted by strain and kept in separate jars was mixed
together, Britnell said.

"It just shows the lack of education there. They are literally mixing
together medications."

The national champion pole vaulter and former Huskies star, who has
Crohn's disease, was one of the four people arrested during the raids
on the Saskatchewan Compassion Club in October.

Police would not comment because the case is before the
courts.

On Jan. 6, the Crown dropped all charges against Britnell relating to
marijuana extracts like oil.

Britnell said when he was first diagnosed with Crohn's, he tried a
variety of painkillers and drugs prescribed by doctors, but the side
effects were too much. He said medical marijuana is the only drug that
allows him to exercise and eat normally. He refers to marijuana as his
"medicine" and says police need more education about medical
marijuana. There was no need to tear his house apart during the raid,
he added.

"The whole place was destroyed and treated like a drug raid. That just
shows the lack of education. My medicine was in my medicine cabinet."

Crown prosecutor Janelle Khan told reporters in January that the
charges relating to marijuana derivatives were dropped after they were
analyzed in the context of the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling that
expanded the definition of medical marijuana beyond just dried
marijuana, making the possession of derivatives like oil legal.

Charges related to marijuana extracts against Mark Phillip Hauk, the
owner of the Saskatchewan Compassion Club, and two other employees -
Jaime Michelle Hagel and Carson Jocelyn Ramsay - were also dropped on
Jan. 6.

Britnell and owner Hauk are due back in court on March 5, charged with
trafficking dried marijuana and possession of criminal proceeds.
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MAP posted-by: Matt