FOR VICTORIA MAN, POT WORTH THE FIGHT

Ian Layfield prefers his marijuana fried in oil for four hours, then
swallowed in cannabis-infused gel caplets.

Either that or mixed in with a topical cream he massages onto his left foot.

Both forms of medical marijuana numb the pain and tightness caused by
severe arthritis that began after a road grader in Victoria pinned
his foot, crushing bones, tendons, muscles and soft tissue.

That was in October 2006, but it wasn't until after self medicating
with tequila and pot, 18 months of rehab needed to walk again, daily
doses of the narcotic pain reliever Oxycontin and hydromorphone
pills, did Layfield gain the consent of his family physician to turn
to medical marijuana.

In May 2009, Layfield received his federal licence to grow 98 plants
and use marijuana for medical purposes.

"oeI had never tried heroin before, but [Oxycontin] is the synthetic
version of it and if this is anything like what the street drug is, I
wouldn't want to touch it," said Layfield, who didn't want to take
the highly addictive opioids, but had no choice because his doctor
believed he had to exhaust all conventional medications before
contemplating using medical marijuana.

That rigidity, Layfield said, can be dangerous for patients.

"oeI weaned myself off of that over a year ago and now it's just been
trial and error with different cannabis strains," said Layfield, 33.

A few weeks ago, Layfield took a doctor's letter to the
superintendent of motor vehicles in Victoria to notify the government
office he was consuming nine grams of cannabis each day.

The office asked Layfield to take a road test to determine the
effects, since physicians don't recommend pot users get behind the wheel.

"oeI passed with flying colours and I was just issued my new pink
card," Layfield said. "oePeople can be able to keep their licence
and still medicate and drive."

But fighting stigma hasn't been easy, he said. Layfield pitched his
mail-in marijuana business called Medme to the team at the CBC
program Dragon's Den in spring 2009.

His business proposal was turned down because no one wanted to be
associated with the green product and with the suspected drop in
share prices, Layfield said. He said his business, which currently
serves more than 500 patients, is on the right side of the law.

Patients with their federal licences to legally use medical marijuana
can contact Medme and be linked with a designated grower of medical
marijuana in B.C., Ontario and Quebec. Health Canada allows
designated growers to supply one or two people with medical
marijuana. Layfield's company then ships the marijuana by courier for
$5.50 per gram, plus provincial taxes, which is cheaper than strains
available at compassion clubs. The government's supply costs $5 per
gram, plus taxes.