UNOFFICIAL CLUB GROWING LIKE A WEED

He's a man with compassion, but don't dare call him a healing dealer.

Ron Whalen of Ottawa has "unofficially" been supplying marijuana to a
widening circle of users for about a year and a half.

Now, he has organized his efforts with the Compassionate Use of Medicinal
Marijuana, a club with 25 members suffering from AIDS cancer, chronic pain
and depression.

But Whalen doesn't "deal" -- he "distributes." He doesn't have "clients" or
"buyers" -- he has "friends."

The careful selection of language and deliberate distancing from the drug
subculture reflects his delicate dance around the law.

So far, he hasn't had any brushes -- a feat achieved by a predictable
balancing act of accessibility with security.

"If we were ever busted, it would be because of ignorance or
misunderstanding," he said.

Whalen doesn't usually give out his phone number -- even though it's listed
- -- and he makes it known he frequently visits the Crosstown Traffic store
at 593 Bank St.

Marijuana club members come from Ottawa and surrounding rural areas. They
smoke the weed -- or munch on his dark-green chocolate chip cookies -- to
improve appetite, reduce nausea or cope with the emotional stress of
illness.

"When you've been dealt a death blow, you need something to help," he said.

Whalen also provides haircuts, massages and counselling -- and so far he
hasn't needed to charge a dime. All the smoke, which is now in low supply
and high demand, has come from compassionate donors or drug dealers willing
to share a little profit.

Whalen, 38, has been a recreational smoker for years, and now takes one
toke every half hour to deal with depression pain from fibromyalgia.

A professional hairdresser for 20 years, Whalen now lives on government
disability and devotes his time to helping club members.

Some hear through word of mouth, others are referred by doctors, palliative
care staff and social workers.

While the wrangling over legalization of medicinal marijuana swirls across
the country, Whalen isn't willing to take his fight to Parliament Hill.

Dr. Don Kilby is.

The Ottawa physician is bringing those benefits to the attention of Health
Canada. He has applied for permission to supply patient Jean Charles
Pariseau with marijuana to relieve symptoms of AIDS.

"There's an attitude of it being a counter-culture, but in fact, there's
quite a science to growing marijuana," Kilby said.

Copyright (c) 1998, Canoe Limited Partnership.