POT SCHEMER BACKS TORIES' CHILD-CARE PLAN

Young Son Disabled: Medicinal Marijuana Proposal Has a Flaw, Health
Canada Says

OTTAWA - The father of a disabled boy brought to a Conservative party
news conference to criticize the Liberals' child-care plan, and to
defend a parent's right to choose what is best for their child,
boasted on a newspaper Web site of having found a legal loophole that
lets him sell marijuana to the sick -- something that contravenes the
law.

Mark-Alan Whittle, who appeared yesterday beside Tory MP Rona Ambrose,
bills himself the chief executive of Logan's Pony Club -- a business
named after his son, Logan, 9, who suffers from cerebral palsy --
which he said was set up last summer for the sole purpose of selling
marijuana.

"Now I can recruit medicinal-use permit holders who will designate
Logan's Pony Club as their designated grower of medicine," Mr. Whittle
wrote on the Web site of Hour, a Montreal newspaper, on Sept. 2.

Mr. Whittle joined Ms. Ambrose, the Tory child-care critic, at a
Parliament Hill news conference to respond to comments by high-ranking
Liberals -- including the Prime Minister's director of communications,
Scott Reid -- that there is nothing in the Conservative child-care
plan -- which offers some parents a $1,200-annual allowance -- to
ensure it is not spent on "beer and popcorn."

Mr. Whittle, who describes himself as a "stay-at-home dad" and wore a
necklace with a picture of his son proudly on display, said that when
he found out Mr. Reid was travelling on the Liberal campaign's
airplane with Paul Martin, he wished that the Prime Minister would
have thrown his chief spokesman out of the aircraft.

The Tories set up an elaborate prop at their news conference to
capitalize on the Liberal gaffe, placing cases of beer, bags of
popcorn and videos on one side of the podium and children's items on
the other side to highlight the philosophical divide between the
Conservatives and Liberals. The front rows of the Parliament Hill
press theatre were occupied by mothers and fathers with their young,
in some cases infant, children.

Mr. Whittle told reporters that he and his wife "had to give up
everything" to care for Logan who now attends public school.

"We're never going to have a big house, we're never going to have a
car, but we love our son and we looked after him from the time he was
born up until the time he was old enough to go somewhere he could be
looked after when we had to work," he said.

Mr. Whittle operates a personal Web site featuring the same name as
the marijuana enterprise. It shows pictures of him and his son.

For readers of the Montreal newspaper's Web site, Mr. Whittle explains
he registered a "sole proprietorship business" with Revenue Canada in
order to get a GST account allowing him to pay taxes on the sale of
marijuana. Approval from the federal government came through on Aug.
17.

"My vision for the future is to see Logan's Pony Clubs become the
best-practice entity to entrust to grow and produce the most effective
cannabis for medicinal use in Canada," he writes, adding the licence
will allow him to "recruit medical-use permit holders who will
designate Logan's Pony Club as their designated grower of medicine."

He says he has a business plan and "a number of legitimate
stakeholders" willing to invest in the enterprise.

However, he does not appear to realize that his business plan -- to
become a bulk supplier of medicinal marijuana -- contravenes the law.
Those designated to grow pot for the sick cannot grow and sell the
drug to more than one person.

"The ratio is always one-to-one," Health Canada spokesman Chris
Williams said. "You are never allowed to grow for more than one person."

Mr. Whittle's wife, reached at their home in Hamilton, said she knew
nothing of the scheme, adding that the family lives in a two-bedroom
apartment.

"It wouldn't be here," she said. "I don't know nothing about that."

Conservative party spokesman Scott Brownrigg said yesterday night that
it is "not appropriate" for him to comment on Mr. Whittle's private or
business affairs.

"Mr. Whittle was speaking on behalf of many Canadians who think the
Conservative child-care plan works in the best interests of their
children," Mr. Brownrigg said, adding that many parents' groups have
contacted the party since its child-care plan was introduced last week.

"He clearly is a supporter of our plan and that's what he was there to
do -- to express his views and how it relates to his situation with
his children at home."

There are 1,118 Canadians licensed by Health Canada to possess
marijuana for medicinal purposes and 816 allowed to grow it
themselves. Eighty-five people have been given a "designated person
production licence."