'SPINNING WHEELS' ON GROW OPS

MP says medicinal marijuana program being reviewed, but councillor
wanted to talk about decriminalizing the drug.

Maple Ridge Councillor Linda King grilled MP Randy Kamp on why the
federal government doesn't decriminalize marijuana Monday.

Kamp was at a council workshop to give an update on various topics,
including how the federal government is planning to deal with
medicinal marijuana dispensaries popping up all over the country. The
Always Growing Green Society opened up its doors in Maple Ridge in
May, causing council concern about how to deal with it.

King said marijuana is so highly used it's hard to
regulate.

"In the whole time I've been elected (the RCMP's) record of taking
down grow ops has been stellar but it's never reduced the number of
grow ops. It's the same number so to me what we're doing with our
policies at every level of government is spinning our wheels," said
King.

King said the amount of money being spent on criminalization of
marijuana is "huge."

"I think that what we're doing is not successful," she said. "It
doesn't make any sense to me."

King said she doesn't condone any drug in particular but pointed out
some drugs such as alcohol and nicotine are legal. She said Portugal
and other European countries have had success after changing their
drug laws.

"We really have to ask ourselves what are we doing here," she
said.

Kamp said marijuana is "largely decriminalized now in practice for
small amounts."

"I think it's safe to say our government doesn't have any interest in
legalization and little interest in decriminalization," he said. "We
don't have an interest in the wide opening up of access to marijuana."

Kamp told council that Health Canada is reviewing the medicinal
marijuana program and is consulting with municipalities where
medicinal marijuana dispensaries have opened up as well as law
enforcement agencies.

"The question remains whether the program is working as it should," he
said.

Kamp said the program isn't one that the federal government "came up
with on its own."

"A court ruling almost a decade ago basically said that the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act was too restrictive for people who could
benefit from marijuana as a medicinal substance so the program was
kind of in response to that court ruling," he said.

Kamp said there are no clinical studies proving the effectiveness of
medicinal marijuana, which is why it can't be sold in a drug store.

He pointed out people can buy dried marijuana from Health Canada, grow
it themselves if they have permission from Health Canada or designate
someone to grow it for them.

Councillor Craig Speirs asked why the federal government hasn't
conducted clinical studies on marijuana, adding there's been a lot of
"private" research.

He said the way the current medicinal marijuana program works there's
no "efficiency of scale" for manufacturers.

"I know it's an effective medicine for a lot of folks but it's got to
be accessible," he said. "What's produced by the federal government
isn't appropriate for everybody, in fact very few."

He later added that the marijuana the government grows is
"lousy."

Speirs said he'd like to see a "rational approach to
production."

"I think at some point we have to bring in some of the people some of
the folks behind setting up the dispensaries and get their input and
allow them to get away from the shadow of organized crime. They don't
want to be associated or be in the same category as organized crime so
how can Health Canada and the federal government allow these people
who call themselves compassionate, and they are, to step beyond the
shadow and into the light," he said.

Speirs said if the federal government put the program in place
respecting a court decision it should work for people and if it
doesn't it should be changed.

"Give people what they need not what people think they need," he
said.

Councillor Mike Morden wanted to know when council could expect some
answers.

"From a policing standpoint from a federal perspective do we have any
kind of a timeline and are there going to be any solutions offered to
us on how to deal with this on a local basis because basically there's
a hole in the (medicinal marijuana act)," he said.

Kamp said from Health Canada's perspective compassion clubs or
medicinal marijuana dispensaries are "outside the law."

"The questions then is how do we respond to them," he said, adding
there has been enforcement by police in some jurisdictions.

"I think law enforcement agencies are a little unsure how to respond,"
he said, adding police have questions about whether they could secure
a conviction and whether busts would be in the "public good."

"It is a challenge I know... as these compassion clubs and so on are
multiplying and coming into suburban venues," said Kamp.

Councillor Cheryl Ashlie said there are legal ways for people to
access medicinal marijuana and that's why she "struggles" with
medicinal marijuana or compassion clubs opening up.

Ashlie said she's heard of the organizations counselling people on how
to "present with symptoms" so they can get marijuana.

"There's always loopholes that people will try to abuse," she said,
adding she doesn't want to see people going through the "right
channels" for medicinal marijuana negatively impacted by those abusing
the system.

Mayor Ernie Daykin said he's received phone calls recently complaining
about legal grow ops in residential neighbourhoods.

He said the challenge for municipalities is they've become the "de
factor regulator."

Councillor Al Hogarth was unimpressed with the federal government's
lack of action.

"My question is what the heck are they doing? They should be stepping
in and taking some action not just reviewing the situation," he said.

He said Health Canada should be telling municipalities this is what
you should do and we will "back you up."

"Someone is the test case and it becomes very costly to be the test
case," said Hogarth.

Hogarth said Health Canada should also be able to tell police where
the legal grow ops are but Kamp said there are privacy rights that
preclude that from happening.

Kamp admitted there are no compliance or enforcement mechanisms that
were built into the medicinal marijuana regulations.