POT FOR PAIN

The Nelson Compassion Club Offers Access To Marijuana For Medicinal
Purposes. Illegal? Yes. Still Able To Operate? Somehow.

NELSON - Phillip McMillan doesn't have a criminal record, has no
interest in going to jail, and is not an activist. But he has
willingly thrown himself into a club which could change all of the
above.

McMillan is the Facility Director of the Nelson Cannabis Compassion
Club. The organization's goal is to assist members in accessing clean,
high quality cannabis for medicinal purposes.

"Client members have to have a note from their doctor stating that
they have a medical condition," McMillan explained. Pot will not be
given or sold without a note from a doctor. Though most doctors are
unwilling to go the final step of prescribing the use of cannabis,
McMillan feels there is support from a large number of local physicians.

The club has a list of illnesses which may be treated with marijuana.
The list is long, encompassing everything from cancer to AIDS to
glaucoma and nerve disorders.

Don, one of the members of the club, says that the service provided is
invaluable.

"I'm 47 years old, and as straight-laced as they come," he explained.
"I have Hepatitis, and before this, I never used drugs, but the
marijuana controls my symptons - it's as simple as that. Without it, I
can't function day to day."

Dr. Nelson Ames of the Kootenay Boundary community Health Services
Society said that his organization hasn't yet explored the medical use
of marijuana as a public health issue, but if it were brought forward,
they would indeed study the impacts.

Currently, there are about 30 or 40 members who use the Compassion
Club's services. McMillan figures that on a busy week, between
one-quarter and one-half pound of pot is distributed to clients. "But,
that may be only one week out of a month," he said.

The club tries to get pot only from suppliers who grow with organic
methods, and the club has recently made arrangements with a lab in
Vancouver to analyze the pot for bacterial content, and types of
fertilizers used.

"If we receive pot for free, we give it away for free. If we pay for
pot, we sell it at a slight profit to cover our costs."

The Club is working hard to separate the issue of medicinal use of
marijuana from recreational use. McMillan feels public support for
medicinal use is strong, while support for recreational use is much
weaker.

"Separating the issue (medicinal and recreational) is our major move.
It's why Hilary Black (of Vancouver's Compassion Club) did so well.
She separated herself from the recreational crowd and focused on
medical, and I believe that strategy was sound," McMillan said.

Sgt. Doug Haddow of the Nelson City Police said that since the
activity at the club is illegal, police are aware of its existence.

"To enforce the law, we need to have evidence of a criminal act," he
explained. Haddow then said that if information that the club was
involved with trafficking were received, an investigation was a
possibility.

McMillan was hopeful that by being strict with only providing pot for
medicinal purposes, police would keep them as a low priority.