CANNABIS USERS CONFUSED

The medical marijuana issue has become even more confusing as a
conservative budget cut of $7.5 million meets mixed response from
concerned parties across the country.

A prominent AIDS organization condemned the cut as "impeding" timely
access to appropriate care for its members, while the Canadian
Cannabis Coalition (the largest organization of its kind in the
world) points to the private research being done and says the cuts
are essentially a non-issue.

Brain (Brian) Taylor, local resident and founding member of the CCC,
says the larger issue is a need for the federal government to
restructure the funding that remains in a more productive manner.

"If the government looks closely at the medical marijuana issue, I
think they'll realize there are massive amounts of public money being
spent toward a very few people who benefit," he says. "The
Compassion Club movement has never had access to federal funding
anyway, and the leading research company right now is privately funded.

"The government could save an enormous amount of money now spent on
licensing and security," he adds. "I think they could licence
regional medical marijuana producers, growing for multiple users,
which would mean some variety and options for patients while allowing
(the government) to demand higher levels of security than are now required."

In fact, he says, the current system allows a single producer to grow
enough for a single patient, which means expensive security measures
are effectively impossible, leaving growers at risk of becoming the
victims of crime.

"There have been a couple of court decisions pushing the government
to change that, but I really can't guess which way they'll jump," he says.

He says there are as many as 25 MS patients alone right here in Grand
Forks, which doesn't include the local AIDS patients, cancer
sufferers or those living with epilepsy, back injury and neuropathic
pain, all of whom would be allowed access to marijuana under the
current licensing regulations.

"The cost is currently about $170 per ounce, which could be
significantly reduced by larger scale production," he explains. "The
$7.5 million that was cut represented unallocated funds. It was
earmarked for research, but they hadn't directed it to a specific
group or program yet, so it doesn't really impede anything."

Taylor also serves as the leader of the new Progressive Nationalist
Party of B.C., which he describes as "conservative in general, but
looking for greater national status for the province of B.C."