ACCESS TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA MADE WORSE

Dear Editor:

As a director for Re-Leaf Dispensary, I can say our society and our
patients were deeply disappointed by the District of North
Vancouver's knee-jerk reaction to outright ban medicinal dispensaries
in their boundaries.

All the supporters and evidence presented to them would not have made
a difference to their position of enacting their uncompassionate bylaw.

Knowing how much support we have, residents can truly have their say
in the November civic elections, and I encourage people to do so.

The federal answer to fixing all of this is a new set of proposed
regulations that strip away the rights of the patient and reduce
access, not the other way around.

The real answer is already in place: the network of compassion clubs
and dispensaries that exist across the country to continue to fulfill
patients needs. The relationships these places have within their
respective communities shows this is a no-brainer, but Harper's
people just don't get it - or they would rather see their big
business buddies getting into the business.

There is no problem right now with the way most people get their
medicine, other than the government labels both us and them as criminals.

How sad.

Brandon Parker,

vice-president, Re-Leaf Dispensary Society Formerly North Vancouver