MEDICAL MARIJUANA FORUM TO TAKE PLACE NEXT WEEK

Grand Forks Coun. Joy Davies has decided to take a lead role in
municipal advocacy for the legalization of medical cannabis in the
province.In order to see the change in federal and provincial laws,
Davies is trying to get cities in the province of B.C. to support a
motion for systemic change. To help educate the community about the
use of marijuana as medicine, she is organizing a local education
forum of experts in the field slated for June 18 in Grand Forks.

In a motion made at the city council meeting Monday, May 8, Davies
asked for the council's support to take a motion to the Union of B.C.
Municipalities (UBCM) meeting in the fall to press the province to
undertake the licensing of medical marijuana.Her motion asked that
the licensing of medical marijuana be the responsibility of the
province not the federal government, and presses for the ability for
compassion clubs to grow the medical cannabis needed for patients or
for patients to grow their own. Although that motion was defeated,
Davies is still working to move it forward. She is taking it to the
floor of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' annual conference
in Whistler and will reintroduce it locally, if possible.

Since the suicide in December of a close friend whose doctor would
not prescribe medical marijuana for her chronic pain, Davies has been
researching the issue, talking with government authorities, and
people involved with compassion clubs.

"Everybody wants to legalize medical use of marijuana because the
federal system is failing apart," said Davies. "(Councillors) see
our people every day. We see the social stigmatism that they are
living under and the fear of being found out. They are the most
vulnerable people and they shouldn't live like that."

Davies wants to take the resolution to the UBCM because they are the
municipal advocacy group to the provincial government. Davies
believes that the pressure from the local levels across the province
may be what will create the change for the future.

At the education forum in June, Davies hopes to provide city
councillors and the community with information on the medical use of
marijuana and the need for change in the current legislation. The
panel on June 18 will include Rielle Caplar of the Centre for
Addiction Research of B.C., Victoria City Councillor Phillipe Lucas,
and Judge Jerry Paradis of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

Only 20 per cent of the 2,000 people licenced by Health Canada to use
medical marijuana buy it from the federal government's existing
program due to quality problems.

"The way I see it, each community should be able to have a compassion
club and to legally grow the marijuana for the club," said Davies.
"If a legal compassion club is regulated by the province, licenced by
the province, taxed by the province, we can get it done properly so
that people can maintain their dignity."

Grand Forks Coun. Joy Davies has decided to take a lead role in
municipal advocacy for the legalization of medical cannabis in the
province.In order to see the change in federal and provincial laws,
Davies is trying to get cities in the province of B.C. to support a
motion for systemic change. To help educate the community about the
use of marijuana as medicine, she is organizing a local education
forum of experts in the field slated for June 18 in Grand Forks.

In a motion made at the city council meeting Monday, May 8, Davies
asked for the council's support to take a motion to the Union of B.C.
Municipalities (UBCM) meeting in the fall to press the province to
undertake the licensing of medical marijuana.Her motion asked that
the licensing of medical marijuana be the responsibility of the
province not the federal government, and presses for the ability for
compassion clubs to grow the medical cannabis needed for patients or
for patients to grow their own. Although that motion was defeated,
Davies is still working to move it forward. She is taking it to the
floor of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' annual conference
in Whistler and will reintroduce it locally, if possible.

Since the suicide in December of a close friend whose doctor would
not prescribe medical marijuana for her chronic pain, Davies has been
researching the issue, talking with government authorities, and
people involved with compassion clubs.

"Everybody wants to legalize medical use of marijuana because the
federal system is failing apart," said Davies. "(Councillors) see
our people every day. We see the social stigmatism that they are
living under and the fear of being found out. They are the most
vulnerable people and they shouldn't live like that."

Davies wants to take the resolution to the UBCM because they are the
municipal advocacy group to the provincial government. Davies
believes that the pressure from the local levels across the province
may be what will create the change for the future.

At the education forum in June, Davies hopes to provide city
councillors and the community with information on the medical use of
marijuana and the need for change in the current legislation. The
panel on June 18 will include Rielle Caplar of the Centre for
Addiction Research of B.C., Victoria City Councillor Phillipe Lucas,
and Judge Jerry Paradis of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

Only 20 per cent of the 2,000 people licenced by Health Canada to use
medical marijuana buy it from the federal government's existing
program due to quality problems.

"The way I see it, each community should be able to have a compassion
club and to legally grow the marijuana for the club," said Davies.
"If a legal compassion club is regulated by the province, licenced by
the province, taxed by the province, we can get it done properly so
that people can maintain their dignity."