MEDICAL MARIJUANA USER CLEARS FOUL-UP

A licensed medical marijuana user has had a criminal charge for pot
production dropped -- and has had all his growing equipment returned
by city police -- after a bureaucratic bungle left him without his
medication for weeks.

"I'm still stunned at this government," Tom Shapiro said
Thursday.

Shapiro, who uses medical marijuana to control the symptoms of AIDS,
has been licensed to grow and use medical marijuana for about five
years. He encountered problems with his licence this fall, when his
annual renewal was delayed due to a series of bureaucratic issues --
including discussions between his doctor and Health Canada on whether
his dosage should be increased.

While waiting for his new licence earlier this month, police busted
Shapiro's home-based medical marijuana grow operation, seized his
plants and his growing equipment and ultimately charged him with one
count of production of marijuana under the Controlled Drugs and
Substances Act.

Shapiro had maintained Health Canada told him he could continue
growing medical marijuana until his new licence was approved, but
police laid a charge against him anyway on the basis that he didn't
have a valid licence at the time the search warrant was executed, and
growing marijuana without a valid licence is illegal.

Shapiro said he got a letter a few days ago informing him the
Department of Justice decided to stay the charge against him, and he
received his growing equipment back from police Thursday. He'll find
out March 1 whether his drugs will be returned as well.

Shapiro said it's been a rough few weeks, and he's been sick a lot of
the time. Since it will take about six months before a new crop is
ready, Shapiro said he's relying on donations to see him through.

"If nothing comes, then I don't know what I'll do," he said.