SUPT. COOKE'S LETTER CITED FOR 'MISINFORMATION'

Editor: After reading Superintendent Derek Cooke's submission to The
Times (Aug. 23), headlined "Many problems with Langley dispensary," I
felt compelled to write and dispel some of the misconceptions
contained in his letter.

When the Langley Medical Marijauna Dispensary (LMMD) opened two years
ago, it employed some admittedly questionable operating practices.
However in the past year, the dispensary has evolved into a safe and
convenient place for patients to receive their dosage.

In his letter, Supt. Cooke says "There was no requirement that
conventional treatment for the customer's ailment had been tried, or
even considered."

This is misleading, as it is not a Health Canada requirement and
normally doctors always do recommend conventional treatments prior to
suggesting alternatives, such as marijuana.

Supt. Cooke suggested in his letter that the dispensary was serving
anyone and not limiting its sales to people with a genuine medical
need. This is not true. Patients who utilized the dispensary had forms
signed by their doctors to support their use of medical marijuana. If
paperwork from their doctor supporting their medical exemption was not
completed, their membership was suspended.

In addition, many of Langley MMD clients have their Health Canada MMAR
(Medical Marijauna Access Regulations) license number and are
authorized to grow their own supply, but used the dispensary as an
alternative.

I find it ironic that in his letter, the superintendent suggested that
people who have a license should grow their own supply, when in March
of this year he denounced legal 'grows' as a real headache for local
RCMP.

"There have been several invasions and armed robberies of these legal
marijuana farms over the past year," he said.

Supt. Cooke expressed concern that "customers' were not screened for
having a criminal record. This implies that the patients utilizing the
dispensary may have been, for the most part, criminals. A criminal
records check is not a requirement by Health Canada, nor should it
be.

However, as a result of the closure, Langley MMD patients are again
forced to make connections with those (criminals?) who would put their
health and safety at risk.

In so many ways, Langley has stepped up to make the community a safe
and secure place to live, work and play -- until now. Patients of the
Langley Medical Marijuana Dispensary are members of this community and
they are entitled to feel safe and secure. And it is up to Supt. Cooke
and the local RCMP to uphold Supreme Court of Canada rulings that
allow dispensaries to operate.

Delila Poore

Langley