News (Media Awareness Project) - CN ON: Drug Unit Continues Marijuana Investigation |
| Title: | CN ON: Drug Unit Continues Marijuana Investigation |
| Published On: | 2011-06-30 |
| Source: | Kingston Whig-Standard (CN ON) |
| Fetched On: | 2011-07-04 06:01:31 |
DRUG UNIT CONTINUES MARIJUANA INVESTIGATION
Kingston Police continue to investigate some of the people involved
in the Kingston compassion club.
The facility in the Medical Arts building on Princess Street was
closed after police responded to a call to the club last week.
Police are considering charges against three people who were at the
club when police attended June 19 who they say are not legally
permitted to possess marijuana.
The three people could have been charged with possession of
marijuana, but police are looking into the possibility that there is
evidence to support a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Police removed about 825 grams of marijuana from the compassion club.
Police returned to the club June 21 with a search warrant and removed
computers and patient records.
The club had been in operation since late May, providing marijuana to
people authorized by Health Canada to possess and use it for medical purposes.
On its website, the Kingston Compassion Club states the police seized
the marijuana without a warrant and that all of the club's five or
six employees face trafficking charges.
A compassion club spokes - person last week said employees called
police to the facility because the online feed from a video
surveillance camera had been interrupted and they believed a break-in
was happening.
While proponents of compassion clubs argue they operate in a grey
area of the law, police say the law is clear about selling cannabis.
"Compassion clubs are illegal in the eyes of the law," said Sgt. Mike
Boyle of Kingston Police's drug unit.
"They like to put a fancy name on it, but the reality is they are
trafficking in marijuana."
The Kingston compassion club had about 300 registered patients and
organizers said they expected eventually to have as many as 2,000.
According to Health Canada, people can obtain permission to legally
possess and use marijuana under the agency's Medical Marijuana Access
Regulations if they suffer severe pain from multiple sclerosis,
spinal cord injury or disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS infection, severe
forms of arthritis or epilepsy.
About 10,000 people across Canada are part of the Health Canada
program, including about 1,000 registered growers.
There are about 50 compassion clubs across Canada.
Kingston Police continue to investigate some of the people involved
in the Kingston compassion club.
The facility in the Medical Arts building on Princess Street was
closed after police responded to a call to the club last week.
Police are considering charges against three people who were at the
club when police attended June 19 who they say are not legally
permitted to possess marijuana.
The three people could have been charged with possession of
marijuana, but police are looking into the possibility that there is
evidence to support a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Police removed about 825 grams of marijuana from the compassion club.
Police returned to the club June 21 with a search warrant and removed
computers and patient records.
The club had been in operation since late May, providing marijuana to
people authorized by Health Canada to possess and use it for medical purposes.
On its website, the Kingston Compassion Club states the police seized
the marijuana without a warrant and that all of the club's five or
six employees face trafficking charges.
A compassion club spokes - person last week said employees called
police to the facility because the online feed from a video
surveillance camera had been interrupted and they believed a break-in
was happening.
While proponents of compassion clubs argue they operate in a grey
area of the law, police say the law is clear about selling cannabis.
"Compassion clubs are illegal in the eyes of the law," said Sgt. Mike
Boyle of Kingston Police's drug unit.
"They like to put a fancy name on it, but the reality is they are
trafficking in marijuana."
The Kingston compassion club had about 300 registered patients and
organizers said they expected eventually to have as many as 2,000.
According to Health Canada, people can obtain permission to legally
possess and use marijuana under the agency's Medical Marijuana Access
Regulations if they suffer severe pain from multiple sclerosis,
spinal cord injury or disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS infection, severe
forms of arthritis or epilepsy.
About 10,000 people across Canada are part of the Health Canada
program, including about 1,000 registered growers.
There are about 50 compassion clubs across Canada.
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