MARIJUANA DEBATE BREWS AT CITY HALL

Local Woman Charged With Possession and Production

The debate over the legalization of marijuana came to the steps of
city hall last week. A group of marijuana activists came to protest in
support of Linda Maddaford. The Yorkton resident was recently charged
with possession and production of controlled substances after her home
was searched by RCMP officers, and her plants and growing equipment
were seized.

Maddaford argues that due to health problems, she should be allowed to
grow her plants, and that marijuana helps with her pain. Maddaford is
diagnosed with mechanical back pain, myofascial pain syndrome onset
spondylosis, degenerative arthritis and a right rotary cuff disorder.

"It helps relieve headaches, and spasms and pain. A person ends up
being scattered and lacking in focus when you live with pain, and it's
not funny," says Maddaford.

"When you're allergic to codine and opiates and you can't take the
pharmaceutical chemical prescriptions, it leaves me no alternative but
to choose alternative medicine."

Maddaford was licensed to grow medical marijuana from June 21, 2005
until June 21, 2008. After the sudden retirement of her doctor, Dr.
Larry Wine, Maddaford says that she has had difficulty renewing her
license. Maddaford claims that she was not growing since 2008, with
the exception of two plants which she states were the perfect strain
for her needs.

"Getting a signature from a specialist is my problem. I've been to
numerous specialists, and to no avail, for fear that they might lose
their license, and you can't blame them," says Maddaford.

She claims that the Canadian Medical Association is advising doctors
to avoid giving licenses. Maddaford states that the CMA does not
believe the benefits of medical marijuana are sufficiently
scientifically proven, and as a result has made her search for a
license more difficult.

"It's Health Canada's medical marijuana policies that are preventing
me from growing my medicine, I do not understand why you need a
specialist license every year, especially if you know you are getting
worse," says Maddaford.

She also believes that the manpower used in search of her home and her
arrest was excessive and a poor use of resources.

"I did not need to have a circus with 8-9 cop cars, civilian vehicles
and vans and approximately 12-16 RCMP. I'm a cripple! Why did they
need to bring that many cops to bust a cripple? That's a total waste
of taxpayer's money," continues Maddaford.

Maddaford believes that she was a victim due to letters she has
written to government officials.

"I do believe I found a crack in our government, and this is why I
think I was chosen," states Maddaford.

The protest in support of her cause was headed by Jeff Lundstrom of
Saskatoon. Lundstrom, who states that he is a grower of medicinal
marijuana for people like Maddaford, believes that cases like this
need people to protest to get marijuana laws to change.

"If we don't stick up for people like this, we aren't Canada anymore,"
states Lundstrom. Lundstrom also believes that if marijuana continues
to be illegal, it "keeps the money underground", and funds other, more
criminal activities.

Tanya Derbowka, who is involved in the Marijuana Party but states that
she came as a concerned citizen and not a party representative,
believes that changes to the laws governing marijuana are what the
majority of Canadians are looking for. She states that over 50 per
cent support changes to marijuana laws.

The protest itself attracted around 30 people. It started at 2:00 p.m.
on August 14 at City Hall, before moving around the downtown area.
Maddaford will be in court on September 14.