POT CLUB MEMBERS UPSET BY GUELPH ARRESTS

GUELPH - People hoping to fill their prescription for legally
prescribed marijuana at the Medical Cannabis Club of Guelph were out
of luck Friday.

A number of patrons arrived to find the club locked and a sign on the
door that read Closed Friday, May 7, Family Emergency. There was no
indication when it will reopen.

The club at 62 Baker St. and other residences were raided Thursday and
four people were charged with a variety of drug-related offences.
Police seized more than 20 kilograms of dried marijuana, 258 marijuana
plants and marijuana-laced baked goods.

"I've belonged to the club since they opened," said Alison Myrden. "I
am shocked and saddened as to why police are bothering these people
who go out of their way to help people like me feel better."

Myrden is among the first 20 people to be legally prescribed marijuana
in Canada. She suffers from chronic progressive multiple sclerosis and
a related condition called tic douloureux, which leaves her with
violent facial pain 24 hours a day.

She said only a small percentage of medical marijuana users get their
marijuana from government suppliers because the quality is typically
bad.

The Health Canada website notes that 4,029 people hold an
authorization to possess dried marijuana and 2,841 are authorized to
cultivate marijuana using seeds provided by Prairie Plant Systems Inc.
based in Saskatchewan.

"None of the compassion clubs are licensed," said Myrden. "They are
quasi-legal and this is what we've been fighting for over a decade.
They are breaking the law for compassionate reasons. I say that with
tongue-in-cheek, being a former corrections officer."

Bryan Harkies said he has been a member of the cannabis club for a
number of years since his doctor prescribed marijuana to treat
symptoms of hepatitis C.

"They have a good selection," Harkies said. "It helps with my appetite
and gets me through bouts of depression without anti-depressants. I've
stopped getting my weed off of bikers and thugs and other street criminals."

He said his brother Bill was a member while he was fighting terminal
cancer.

"It helped him tremendously," he said.

Harkies said he knows of elderly patients who come here to fill a
prescription who will now be forced to look for marijuana on the street.

Russell Barth is an Ottawa-based marijuana activist and standup
comedian. He said compassion clubs are targeted by police because they
present an example of how legalization can work.

He said when marijuana laws were reformed in the Netherlands, it led
to huge layoffs of police.

"Police realize everyday we get closer to reforming the laws here the
closer they get to the same kinds of layoffs," said Barth. "They won't
be able to justify their powers of coercion and intrusion and the
budget increases. They'll lose their power to harass the poor, the
young, people of colour and those with non-regulated haircuts."

He said it is the police who are breaking the law when they bust these
clubs.

"It should be noted that on Dec. 10, 1997, Canada's marijuana laws
were declared unconstitutional by Justice Patrick Sheppard, which was
upheld by the Ontario Court of Appeal, July 31, 2000," said Barth.

"This decision was not appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, and
government has not re-enacted a Criminal Code statute upon marijuana.
Therefore, marijuana is technically legal, and has been for about 10
years. Licence or no licence, the cops have no valid reason to be
bugging pot people."

He said the federal Conservative government is trying to pass Bill
S-10, which will effectively outlaw all compassion clubs.

"If the Tories ever get a majority government, they'll round us all
up."