PROTESTER DECRIES PLANS FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA OUTLET

Richard Pollack does not want James Younger supplying marijuana to
Nanaimo's chronically ill.

Pollack spent several days picketing outside Younger's Victoria Street
home, questioning Younger's motive for providing people with medicinal
marijuana.

Younger said the Mid-Island Compassion Society will be up and running
today and he has plans to expand the illegal business so that he can
help anyone living in chronic pain.

As of today, he has three customers, but he plans to ride his bike for
the next few months delivering pot to people who suffer from AIDS,
hepatitis, ALS, cancer and various other chronic conditions.

Pollack called the activist a hypocrite for campaigning to rid the
neighbourhood of unwanted activity, only to start an illegal
operation. Admittedly, Younger said his new project will take great
effort and rely heavily on co-operation from the city and police.

Not all neighbours oppose Younger. One pedestrian hollered at Pollack
from the street corner, telling him to spend his time drawing
attention to some of the "crack" houses, instead of medicinal pot operations.

"If people want to call me a hypocrite, that's their prerogative,"
Younger said on Wednesday evening. "I'm doing this because I want to
help those in pain."

Pollack received honks from five motorists within a 20-minute period
on Wednesday afternoon, while standing outside Younger's home. He
supports medicinal marijuana use, but does not want Younger doing it
illegally.

"He spent months campaigning to get rid of the needle exchange in this
neighbourhood, and the prostitutes, and now he wants to start
(delivering pot to people). I smell a hypocrite," Pollack said at the
end of his three-hour shift.

Younger dismissed Pollack and any other critics and now prepares for
the difficult task of keeping his operation open. He will deliver pot
by bike before opening a storefront, he said, to reduce police hassles.

Experts at the B.C. Compassion Club in Vancouver understand how
difficult the startup can be. Spokeswoman Nicole Marcia said "it's a
lot to take on . . . because you're risking arrest."

"What we are doing here is not legal," she insisted. "We're tolerated
by police and by the city. We're a not-for-profit organization, so
police leave us alone."

Younger understands that police will likely charge him for possession
or trafficking, but he is not worried, given his research on
convictions.

"All charges have been dropped or overturned," he said.