MEDICAL-POT USER GIVEN WAY TO ELIMINATE SMELL

Wheelchair-bound double-amputee Marilyn Holsten is clearing the air
in her pot-puffing fight with her landlord.

Holsten, who faces eviction at the end of the month because she
smokes marijuana inside her East Vancouver suite, was yesterday given
a vapourizer by pot activist Marc Emery and his wife, Jodie. Emery
and his wife dropped the $750 German-made Volcano Vaporizer off at
Holsten's suite on East 8th Avenue and she wasted no time in putting it to use.

Besides the donated vapourizer, Holsten was also given a baggie of
Blueberry Island Sweet Skunk, a marijuana variant prized by pot puffers.

After a quick instructional session on using the high-end machine,
Holsten took a few tokes and sang praise of the machine that allows
her to get stoned while eliminating smoke.

"Wow is this ever nice, it doesn't burn your throat," said Holsten,
49, who uses marijuana to help with the unbearable pain she gets in
the stumps of her legs. Holsten is a diabetic and has lived for more
than eight years in a building run by the nonprofit Anavets Seniors
Citizens Housing Society.

After pot smoke was detected coming from her suite, she was given an
eviction notice in April 2008. In order to stay, she was forced to
sign a document promising to light up outdoors only. Then last month
Holsten was given a final eviction notice after management said the
smell of pot was noticed in public areas of the building.

Despite having a doctor's note saying she needs to smoke marijuana to
ease her pain, the landlord told her to find another place. Emery,
who faces possible extradition to the U.S. on drug charges next
month, said he is hearing of cases similar to Holsten's. "We know of
many people who are using medical marijuana who are running into
problems with their landlords," he said.

Holsten has appealed her eviction and has a hearing June 9 with the
Residential Tenancy Branch.