Pubdate: Mon, 18 Apr 2016
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Matt Robinson
Page: A4

HEALTH OFFICIALS CAUTION POT RALLY NOT TO SELL CANNABIS TO MINORS

Organizers told to police vendors to cut numbers ending up in
hospital

Health officials are warning organizers of Vancouver's annual 4/20 pot
protest to prohibit marijuana sales to minors and self-regulate sales
of infused edibles.

Vendors should card anyone under the age of 25 and limit sales of
cannabis products that can be eaten or inhaled to buyers aged 19 and
older, a medical health officer at Vancouver Coastal Health told
protest organizer Jeremiah Vandermeer last week in an email obtained
by The Vancouver Sun.

Sellers should also clearly indicate the serving size of edibles,
caution buyers not to combine marijuana with alcohol, and inform them
that effects can take several hours to kick in, wrote the official,
who indicated it was the second attempt to reach organizers.

"We are trying to reduce the number of people who will need medical
attention that day. Last year there were over 100 visits to St. Paul's
alone because of cannabis intoxication. Seventy-five per cent of them
had consumed edibles, but clearly were not ready for the effects," the
official stated.

"While I do have the power, under B.C.'s Public Health Act, to order
each vendor to comply with these requests, I am sure you agree it
would be much better for them to take these sensible health
precautions of their own accord."

Vancouver Coastal Health's chief medical officer Dr. Patricia Daly
confirmed Saturday that officials have been trying to reach
organizers. She said they don't want a repeat of last year, when more
than 100 patients showed up at St. Paul's Hospital on April 20.

"We had patients as young as 15 years old," she said. "We are
concerned about adolescents and youth being sold marijuana and so we
are asking them to ID people who look like they are under 25."

The city is drafting legislation that will include not allowing minors
to enter dispensaries, and Daly wants vendors at the 4/20 protest to
do the same.

Organizer Jodie Emery said asking vendors to card anyone under the age
of 25 is "unreasonable and unjustifiable," considering the protest
event has had a safe record for more than two decades.

"We have done and will do everything within reason to make the entire
event safe in every way, as it always has been, after 21 years of
being a successful, problem-free massive gathering of civil
disobedience," she said.

She added that 4/20 is safer than many city-sanctioned events that
have alcohol available and noted there's never been violence or any
serious harm caused to anyone.

As for the number of people who required medical attention last year,
Emery said that was unusual because of the weather.

"People went to the hospital for dehydration because it was so
unexpectedly hot that day," she said, adding that none were admitted
to the hospital. "They were given water, juice and Gravol and sent
home."

Daly said Emery's take on what happened last year is "absolutely
false."

She added that the majority of patients were suffering from illness
associated with ingesting too much marijuana from edibles they bought
at the event.

She said cases ranged from gastro-intestinal illness, to anxiety and
hallucinations.

"It is hard to know the dose with edibles. You may not know how much
you are taking and often it can take several hours before you feel the
effect, so people don't think it's working and they take more."
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MAP posted-by: Matt