HTTP/1.0 200 OK Content-Type: text/html A Green Light To Grow 
Pubdate: Fri, 23 Sep 2005
Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005, Canoe Inc
Contact:  http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837
Cited: Vancouver Island Compassion Society http://thevics.com/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

A GREEN LIGHT TO GROW

Here's How It Works

The legal avenues for growing pot legally in B.C. are more convoluted
than a corn maze.

People with licenses issued by Health Canada to use marijuana for its
medicinal benefits not only deal with municipal bylaws and Health
Canada regulations, but they have to surrender their personal
information to police so they won't get busted.

And all this red tape is driving people with legal permits to obtain
their marijuana illegally through Compassion Clubs, said the founder
and director of the Vancouver Island Compassion Society, Philippe Lucas.

"Compassion Clubs (across Canada) are serving about 10,000 people
right now," said Lucas. "And we supply over half of the legal
exemptees in Canada. Ironically enough, after going through the
onerous application process, you still end up at a Compassion Club to
get a good source of (marijuana) medicine."

According to the latest national tally by Health Canada, there are 943
people licensed to have pot for medical purposes, 181 of whom live in
B.C.

But only 18 per cent subscribe to government-grown weed, while 74 per
cent are allowed to grow their own. That means nearly 700 home-grow
operations in Canada, and more than 100 in B.C.

"If Health Canada allowed people to grow co-operatively, it would be
very likely they would have to monitor far less grow operations," Lucas said.

Vancouver police spokesman Tim Fanning said yesterday that legal pot
grow-ops have been busted several times, and while they try to check
with Health Canada on the status of a suspected grow op, they aren't
always able to get confirmation of a license.

However, Christopher Williams, Health Canada's spokesman for medicinal
marijuana, said they share personal information about a licensee with
law enforcement, and recent amendments to the Marijuana Medical Access
Regulations Act force all applicants to share their information with
police. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake