MARIJUANA SHOP OPENS IN RIDGE

Tim Sproule has herniated discs in his back and neck that cause him
intense pain. The condition is degenerative and the pain increases
all the time.

For the last two years Sproule has had a federal government exemption
to use marijuana medicinally to treat the pain.

"I can function. It makes a world of difference. Night and day," said Sproule.

Sproule was one of the first people to register as a member at the
new Always Growing Green Society Dispensary, which will distribute
medicinal marijuana in Maple Ridge. It's located at 11696 224 Street
in an old house the non-profit society is renovating.

Sproule has grown marijuana plants himself or has gotten pot from
medicinal marijuana dispensaries in Vancouver but he said the new
organization will make a big difference for people who find it hard to travel.

"I know a lot of people that it will make an amazing difference for,"
he said. "Being able to have a safe place closer to home is a must
for everybody. I think these places should be opening up everywhere."

Michael Joinson, director of the new society, has a similar story to Sproule.

He's had three back surgeries in recent years and had to take 10 to
12 hits of morphine a day. However, since he began using marijuana
medicinally he's cut the amount of morphine he has to take by more than half.

"It's gotten me off harmful pharmaceuticals," he said. "I still have
pain every day but it's tolerable so I'm not totally angry all day
and frustrated."

Joinson finds it upsetting that the only time marijuana is mentioned
in the media it's in relation to organized crime, shootings or
illegal grow-ops when he said medicinal marijuana is legal and
beneficial to people's health.

Joinson and other members of the society have been busy renovating
and cleaning up the sixty-plus year old house the organization will
operate out of.

They've repainted and done patchwork on walls and the house has a
comfortable couch and armchairs and lots of natural light.

"This house was pretty rough," said Joinson.

The society came up with the funding through individual donations, he added.

"It's a lot of friends pitching in to get us started. We're all
pulling together to get this off the ground because we feel there's a
real need," he said.

The plan is to start selling two different strains of marijuana -
Indica and Sativa -- edible baked goods and hashes. Eventually
Joinson also wants to sell lotions and rubs. When the TIMES visited
Monday the dispensary wasn't distributing marijuana yet.

Kim Baird, manager of the organization, said they plan to help clean
up the neighbourhood.

Joinson envisions having a cleanup day where they would organize
people to clean up garbage on vacant lots. He said people will be
told to pick up their medication and smoke it at home. They won't be
allowed to smoke it outside the house.

Baird and Joinson are hoping they won't face any opposition from
Ridge Meadows RCMP.

"We're just hoping for the best. We're just hoping there's not any
conflict with it," said Joinson. "They can't say I'm doing anything
worse to this neighbourhood. I've been here and I've seen it."Joinson
said the organization will only distribute marijuana to people with
federal government exemptions or people who come in with a doctor's
letter stating medicinal marijuana would help alleviate medical symptoms.

He said the organization is needed because not everyone with a
federal government exemption is capable of growing marijuana in their
own homes.

"The government gives people exemptions. Where do they expect us to
get our medicine?" he said. "There's a lot of people where (growing
it) isn't feasible."

When asked where the marijuana they sell will come from he said
"friendly growers that are supplying medicinal marijuana."

Joinson said they've incorporated security features into the building.

Dori Dempster, manages the Vancouver Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary,
which is about to open a second location. She said many of the
customers are from east of Vancouver and the Maple Ridge dispensary
will benefit a lot of people. She has a customer who is over 80 years
old from Chilliwack, for example.

Dempster said her organization hasn't had any issues with the
Vancouver Police Department.

"They understand I believe what we're doing there. I'm hoping the
police out here will be just as respectful to this club as the
Vancouver police have been," she said.

Ridge Meadows RCMP released a statement from Superintendent Dave Walsh.

"We, the Ridge Meadows RCMP, have not been contacted in any way about
any such organization existing or being operated here," said the statement.

The RCMP declined to comment on how it would respond to the opening
of the dispensary.

Maple Ridge Mayor Ernie Daykin said the non-profit doesn't have a
business licence to operate.

"From my personal view as mayor I'm disappointed. I'm not sure it's
something that I want in my community but I don't have some of the
details and I'm disappointed in the lack of or no communication,"
said Daykin, adding the first he heard about it was a media article on Monday.

Daykin said he doesn't feel the federal government is taking enough
responsibility in dealing with medicinal marijuana.

"Who's regulating the legal dispensing of it or growing of it and
it's easy for Health Canada to issue the letter and then just say OK
you guys there you go and then it's up to us, to police to work with
some of the potentially negative implications around that."