COMPASSION CLUB WEED OUT THEIR CONCERNS WITH RAID

Members of the Mid-Island Compassion Club will be gathering for a
special meeting on Sunday to discuss the latest developments within
their group.

Those developments, says club chair Mark Russell, are
significant.

Russell, who provides medical marijuana to club members to be used for
pain relief, was raided by members of the Courtenay RCMP on Dec. 22
and now faces six counts of trafficking in a controlled substance.

Of even more concern to club members is the fact the RCMP seized
Russell's membership list and medical documentation.

"Some of the members are concerned about the fact the police have
their names now," says Russell, who kept the information in a safe in
his Dashwood-area home. "They are all in a vulnerable position.
They're all shocked and a lot of them are angry."

Since he opened up his Mid-Island Compassion Club some five and a half
years ago, Russell says he has supplied marijuana to people suffering
from a variety of ailments, including migraines, joint pain, liver
cancer, post traumatic stress disorder, chronic back pain, herniated
discs, cancer, AIDS, head injuries, arthritis and lupus, among others.

The meeting, Russell says, has been called in order to allow the
members to air their concerns.

"The meeting will be about the bust and for people to throw ideas
around to see what they have to say," Russell says, noting other clubs
have agreed to fill in until his legal issues are resolved. "I've been
finding alternative places for them to go. The North Island club and
the Victoria club are both going to accept some of our members."

As he waits for his first court appearance date on March 22, Russell
says he's trying to remain positive.

"It's like walking down a dark alley with a blindfold on," he says.
"I'm just taking it one step at a time."