AIDS VICTIM GETS HIS MARIJUANA BACK

A Regina Medical Marijuana User Has His Plants Back.

Tom Shapiro was at police headquarters Thursday afternoon collecting
the 21 marijuana plants that were seized by officers last month
following a delay in the renewal of his licence to grow pot.

Shapiro arrived at the station armed with a court order for police to
return the property to him.

"I feel great having it back," he said.

"It's a success story here all around. Hopefully it protects us in
the future. For people who are legally entitled to grow it and
possess it, (I hope) that it should never happen to them that the
police should walk in and disrupt their life and their health."

Returning seized drugs is a first for Regina police officers, who
handed over two large bags of dried marijuana plants to Shapiro on
Thursday afternoon.

"When Mr. Shapiro came here with the documents indicating that his
property was to be returned to him, that's exactly what we're
obligated to do," said Regina Police Service spokesperson Elizabeth Popowich.

In early February, police officers searched Shapiro's home, seizing
marijuana plants and growing equipment. He was charged with
production of marijuana under the Controlled Drugs and Substances
Act, but later saw the charges dropped and his equipment returned.

Shapiro said he doesn't have any animosity towards the police, and
blames Health Canada for telling him he could grow marijuana while
waiting for the renewal of his medical marijuana licence.

He has held a licence to use and grow pot for the past five years to
control the nausea he experiences as a side-effect of AIDS.

Unfortunately, many of the plants weren't ready for harvest when
police took them from his home, Shapiro said, adding he may use some
of the pot for cooking.

"I hope I can make it stretch until I get some new plants growing,"
he said. "I'm thankful to everybody for helping us out in the
meantime with donations to keep me well and healthy while I'm taking
my medicine."

Shapiro said it is a relief to get the ordeal behind him. He is now
talking to the Canadian AIDS Society about issuing a letter to people
who are in the process of applying for a renewal in their medical
marijuana production licence.

The letter would urge the extension of licence while patients are
waiting for their application to be processed.

"Hopefully we can get that in place before this happens again," he said.