ACTIVISTS ESTABLISH NATIONAL REGULATOR FOR POT DISPENSARIES

Francois Arcand says he doesn't want gravely ill people to think of
medical marijuana as their last hope because of all the red tape that
surrounds it.

The 42 year old had to first find a doctor who would help him get a
Health Canada license to use marijuana to ease his epilepsy. Then he
waited a year for approval.

Meanwhile, the Ottawa man found quicker and more personalized relief
at a cannabis dispensary.

"Cannabis should have been my frontline therapy and not a desperate
last resort," Arcand said, adding that Health Canada needs to issue
more licences.

Arcand said he supported calls in Ottawa on Tuesday by medical
marijuana advocates for the federal government to legalize pot
dispensaries, as activists launched a national organization to help
regulate the businesses.

"Dispensaries should be legally regulated and recognized as a
legitimate health-care service," said Rade Kovacevic, co-founder of
the new Canadian Association of Medical Dispensaries. "We are asking
the government to recognize our experience and to work with us to
develop a regulatory framework for medical cannabis."

The non-profit association aims to oversee the country's estimated 30
dispensaries, which sell a range of cannabis products and strains to
buyers who show a doctor's note and meet other requirements.

Staff plan to accredit the dispensaries - many of which are currently
set up as illegal storefronts - in areas such as patient eligibility,
dispensing practices, quality of cannabis and community safety, with
a goal of ensuring high standards of care.

Marijuana remains illegal in Canada, but residents suffering from
illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS and epilepsy can apply
to use pot as supplied by Health Canada's growers or a licensed
individual grower.

Marc-Boris St. Maurice, who founded the association and operates a
compassion club in Montreal, said dispensaries provide shorter wait
times for registration than Health Canada, as well as one-on-one
consultations and marijuana products that don't have to be smoked.