Pubdate: Fri, 04 Mar 2016
Source: Expositor, The (CN ON)
Contact: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/letters
Copyright: 2016 Brantford Expositor
Website: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1130
Author: Vincent Ball
Page: A1

MEDICAL POT USER BARRED

A Brantford man denied entry to Toronto's CN Tower restaurant because 
he carried medical marijuana wants to take his case to the Ontario 
Human Rights Tribunal.

"I have a ( medical marijuana) licence and I had a couple of joints 
with me," Mike Knox said Thursday. "I use it for chronic pain.

"I explained all of that, but security still wouldn't let me in."

Knox, 33, said that, on Saturday, he asked CN Tower security to take 
his marijuana and lock it away while he, his 26- year-old girlfriend, 
Courtney Childs, and her two-year-old son visited the restaurant.

"I was told they couldn't do that, so there wasn't anything else I 
could do. We came in by train, so it wasn't as if I could go lock it 
in a car," Knox said.

"We were really looking forward to having lunch at the CN Tower. It 
was supposed to be the start of a really great day for us.

"But instead it was a big disappointment. That ruined our whole day."

Calls to CN Tower officials for comment were not returned on Thursday.

The tribunal resolves claims of discrimination and harassment brought 
under the Human Rights Code through a process that includes 
mediation. If a mediated settlement can't be reached, then a hearing is held.

Childs said she has spoken to CN Tower officials, who apologized and 
acknowledged that Knox shouldn't have been turned away.

But she said there is a bigger issue at stake.

"It was discriminatory and it was really embarrassing for Mike," 
Childs said. "He had medicine with him, something he needs and he has 
a licence to use it. I carry medicine with me and I wasn't denied 
entry." Childs said that security guards and others responsible for 
operating public venues need to know the regulations surrounding the 
use of medicalmarijuana.

"This is something that could happen to anyone," Childs said. "We 
need to bring attention to this so it doesn't happen to anyone else.

"Our whole day was ruined because someone didn't know the regulations."

Under Health Canada guidelines, people who have a medical marijuana 
licence can have with them the lesser of 150 grams of dried marijuana 
or 30 times their daily authorized amount at any one time. For 
example, a person allowed to consume two grams a day is allowed to 
carry a maximum of 60 grams.

Knox suffered internal injuries as a result of the vehicle collision 
eight months ago. He said he recently received a prescription to use 
medical marijuana.

"I'm in constant pain and the medical marijuana is really helpful," 
Knox said. "It dulls the pain. It makes it bearable, so that I'm able 
to function otherwise I wouldn't be able to do anything."

Proponents of medical marijuana say it can help people with a variety 
of issues including chronic pain.
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