MEDICAL MARIJUANA ATTRACTS CRIMINALS

Re: the story "Pot stash attracts thieves" (Oct. 3). As a federal
medical marijuana licence holder who is also married to one, I found
this story frightening. Luckily, we don't have marijuana plants in our home.

Because I fear home invasions, I park my 300-pound electric
wheelchair in front of my apartment door every night, even though I
live in a secure building. Our fear is augmented because, unlike
other medical marijuana licence holders, we are public activists,
having appeared on local TV about 10 times over the past three years.

Why take the risk of publicizing our licensed status? To help educate
the public. Too many people are in the dark about this issue because
of the secrecy surrounding it.

For example, The Whig's story states that "The government no longer
directly supplies the drug to patients with prescriptions," but as
far as I know, it does. Check the Health Canada website and you will
see that more than 100 people still receive the $5-per-gram pot a
company called Prairie Plant Systems Inc. grows for the government.

Until marijuana is legalized and regulated, the kind of violence
reported on in The Whig's story will continue to happen. Maybe it is
because of flaws and loopholes like this that at least one court has
deemed the federal medical marijuana licence program unconstitutional.

It is all too easy to get or make a uniform that looks convincing
enough through a peephole in a door, so I suggest that anyone with or
without a marijuana licence follow this simple rule: If they don't
have a warrant, don't let them in. Period.

Russell Barth

Ottawa