GREENING THE WEST END

New Cannabis Club Looking For Digs

HIV News :

Persons with AIDS and other chronic diseases in the West End will no longer
have to go east to the Compassion Club for medical marijuana when the West
End Compassion Access Network Opens its doors this fall.

The East Side Compassion Club ,Canada's largest medical marijuana buyers
club,is over-subscribed with a waiting list of 800.The club has been
operationg at their Commercial Drive office since they opened in 1997 and
serves up to 1400 members with cheap marijuana each year.

Now clients living in the downtown area will be able to purchase,and
smoke,their medicine in their neighbourhood once sympathetic office space
is found .

WE CAN organizers Kenn Quayle and Brian Mackenzie say that they are not in
competition with the east side club, but expect to serve a quarter of their
client overload.

Quayle, an original member of the Compassion Club and a medical user of
marijuana ,has been out of the country since the club began to take off.He
says he's pleased with how well it has established itself.

WECAN has already enlisted the support of the BC Persons with Aids
Society,who have provided them with guidance and political strategies for
opening a cannabis club in the West End .

BCPWA Chair Glen Hillson says that though the society is not affliated with
the club, it does support the legalizing of medical marijuana use.

"In principle, the idea of a local compassion club would benefit PWA's
living in the West End." he says."Our members would welcome a site close to
home."

Increased appetite,pain reduction and nausea suppression are some of the
positive side-effects of marijuana use.

The new club is having their application for non-profit staus reviewed by
potential board of directors and are searching for office space.

They are also looking for members and will begin to accept referals from
health care practitioners. Brian Mackenzie says members will likely pay a
yearly membership fee of $10.

WE CAN phone: 604 842 6235