MACCAN LEGION REOPENS

Interim Management Team Appointed

MACCAN - A besieged legion in rural Cumberland County has been
allowed to reopen under an appointed management team.

The Maccan legion was closed and its executive disbanded just over a
week ago by Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command because of its public support
of the use of marijuana oil to treat numerous ailments.

The legion reopened on Friday and management team spokesperson George
Theal is hoping it won't take too long before things return to normal.

"We're just so happy to get it open again. It caused quite a
disruption in the community to have it closed," Theal said last
night. "I was getting all kinds of phone calls from people asking
when it would open again and all I could tell them was soon."

Theal and four others have been appointed by provincial command to
run the legion in the interim with the assistance of two legion
officers including zone commander Les Nash of Springhill. The legion
will remain under this management team until further notice. Hours of
operation are the same as those before the temporary closure.

Dates and time of the next branch general meeting will be sent to
each member by mail within the next week or so.

Besides the inconvenience of being closed, Theal was growing
increasingly concerned about the loss of revenues from video lottery
terminals and from bingo, which raises money for community organizations.

"I was afraid that the longer we stayed closed the more likely the
government would come in and remove our machines," Theal said. "We
also lost two bingos and that represents a lot of money we give back
to the community."

Looking back at the controversy that resulted in its temporary
closure, Theal doesn't disagree with hemp oil advocates Rick Dwyer
and Rick Simpson. He just doesn't think they should have used the legion name.

"I have nothing against the hemp oil, they just can't use the legion
name to support it," he said. "Even guys on provincial command think
the stuff works, it's just using the legion name to support it that
caused the trouble."