MEDICAL POT USER SAYS HE WAS HARASSED BY COPS

Police Called to UOIT Campus at April 15 Just Say Know Event

OSHAWA -- A drug education conference at UOIT took an ironic turn
Friday afternoon when a guest speaker invited to talk about the
challenges faced by medical marijuana users says he was harassed -
for being a medical marijuana user.

Ben Fudge, an Oshawa resident and federally exempted medical
marijuana user, was among nine speakers on the agenda for the April
15 Just Say Know conference, the first event of its kind at the university.

After participating in a panel discussion, Mr. Fudge says he rolled
outside in his wheelchair to smoke marijuana - in a designated
smoking area - and was approached by campus security.

"The security guard didn't understand that I am exempt and said I had
to leave or he was calling the police," Mr. Fudge says. "I refused to
leave because I hadn't done anything wrong."

Police arrived shortly after and Mr. Fudge found himself embroiled in
a confrontation, some of which was captured on video and uploaded to YouTube.

"You've been asked to leave by security, you're not welcome on the
grounds," a police officer can be heard saying to Mr. Fudge in the clip.

Officials from UOIT and Durham Regional Police say police weren't
called to the campus because of Mr. Fudge. They allege it was due to
complaints about table displays set up as part of the conference.

"It wasn't about marijuana use, it was about materials ... on the
tables," said police spokesman Dave Selby.

Some tables showcased harm reduction kits from the John Howard
Society of Durham Region - containing condoms, syringes and pipe
screens - while others displayed marijuana-themed items, including
pot leaf leis.

UOIT spokeswoman Lisa Banks said conference organizers had permission
to set up displays in a classroom in the UOIT science building, but
not in the atrium, an area more accessible to students passing by.

She says campus security asked organizers to move the tables into the
classroom and that the situation "escalated" to involve police.

Ms. Banks and Mr. Selby both stressed Mr. Fudge was allowed to remain
on campus after discussing his situation with police.

However, Mr. Fudge says he felt "harassed and discriminated against"
after the encounter.

"This proves why we need a conference like this in the first place,
why we need education," he said.

Asked whether UOIT allows medical marijuana users to smoke pot on
campus, Ms. Banks said students can work with the campus centre for
disabilities to determine what kind of "accommodation" they are permitted.

The conference, organized by the local chapter of Canadian Students
for Sensible Drug Policy, featured a full day of speakers covering
everything from party drugs and safe home tattoos, to drug
prohibition alternatives.

The CSSDP is a national, grassroots group that "neither encourages
nor condemns drug use," according to its literature.

Event organizer and Durham College student Jessi Murray says Mr.
Fudge's experience wasn't the only controversy -- it was a challenge
to convince UOIT to allow the conference at all.

"The school is very cautious when it comes to things like this,
they're concerned about their public image and what the community
will think if we talk about drugs this way," she said.

Ms. Murray says she got involved with the local chapter of CSSDP
because she saw how drugs hurt people at her high school, in some
cases ending their lives.

Acknowledging that some youths will choose to use drugs despite the
best efforts of prevention programs, Ms. Murray says events like Just
Say Know arm them with tools to protect themselves.

"It's been proven that young people often choose to use even after we
tell them to just say no. If they do choose to use and they know
nothing about these drugs or what to expect or how to be safe ...
it's dangerous."

Ali Connelly, one of dozens of people who stopped by to check out the
Just Say Know event, said teaching youth about safe drug use is like
teaching them about safe sex.

"You probably don't want kids to have sex, but if they're going to
anyway it should at least be safe. It's the same thing with drugs,"
says the 18 year old. "If it's going to happen anyway ... shouldn't
we try to make it safe?"

Mr. Fudge will be speaking to the Oshawa accessibility advisory
committee about accessibility for medical marijuana users on April 19
at 6:30 p.m. at Oshawa City Hall.