MEDICINAL POT USERS SOCIETY MANDATE APPROVED

The Okanagan is about to join Nelson, Victoria and Vancouver with the
creation of a new society with a mandate to distribute cheap, safe medical
marijuana.

Richard Babcock, founder of the Okanagan Compassion Club Society, knows too
well the difficulties in obtaining good medical marijuana.

He suffers from AIDS and uses the weed to stimulate his appetite and help
keep down the dozens of pills he must take every day as well its numerous
other benefits.

Now Babcock has his society papers from Victoria and hopes to be a middle
man between organic growers and those who have a legitimate medical need
for marijuana.

"People will have to be patient with us in the beginning," he said.

"Growers will have to be patient as well, I am sure they are not used to
getting $100 an ounce.

"We have to remember this is for sick people; they are doing a good deed."

Babcock wants to meet with local RCMP to explain his intentions and methods.

As of Thursday, an RCMP spokesperson hadn't heard of it and wouldn't
comment on it.

"I want to tell them what we are doing, that we are just going to help sick
people and if they can cut us some slack that would be great," Babcock said.

He doesn't have any clients yet, though he expects to get as many as 500
from the Cancer Clinic.

Marijuana, while classified as an illicit drug by the Controlled Drugs and
Substances Act, is recognized as having many medicinal benefits including
appetite stimulation, nausea suppression, pain relief and gentle sedation.

He is looking for organic producers only and has the products tested by a
company called Advanced Nutrients.

Babcock has his eye on a small building downtown for the club but is
struggling for ways to pay for it.

He and society members plan to sell green silk ribbons by donation.

For more information, Babcock can be reached at 869-4192.