POT USER LAMENTS LOSS OF 'MEDICINAL' SOURCE

A medical marijuana user, with approval from Health Canada, is
questioning why police have shut down the Abbotsford location he used
to grow cannabis.

Brian Carlisle, who was the victim of a home invasion in Chilliwack in
September, had been growing his pot at local marijuana advocate Tim
Felger's Bradner Road property since the fall. On Thursday morning,
Abbotsford Police converged on the well-known property and arrested
two men.

Police said 2,090 plants were at the property.

"Apparently, there was more than what my licence was for," Carlisle
said, adding he's heard other medical marijuana users were growing at
Felger's property. Felger was in custody yesterday and could not be
reached for comment.

A Health Canada spokeswoman said up to three people can grow medical
marijuana for three separate licensed cannabis users at one location.

The number of plants allowed to each licensed person varies according
to their medical requirements, but the number of allowable plants
falls below the total number of plants grown at Felger's property.

The other man who was arrested had gone to the Bradner Road property
to pick up Carlisle's medication because Carlisle doesn't have snow
tires on his vehicle.

What irks Carlisle is that he said has registered the pot-growing
location with Health Canada and police.

"Why didn't they call me and check?" he asked. "I'm a little bit
upset. They (police) breached the secrecy of where I grow . . . now
what do I do with my medication?"

"What does it take for a person in this country to maintain their
health?" he said. "I'm trying to follow the rules."

On Thursday night, Carlisle said police drove him to the location and
allowed him to extract 25 plants, but not his equipment. He could not
say exactly how many plants he had at the Bradner Road property.

He was also told that he would not be allowed to continue to grow
there, because a new municipal bylaw states the power must be cut off
after the discovery of a marijuana grow-op.

He said he doesn't know now where he is going to get his medicine, as
he can't get it through Health Canada or a pharmacy, and doesn't want
to grow at home after the violent home invasion his family suffered.
The two men arrested were expected to appear in Abbotsford provincial
court yesterday.

Details of charges were not available at press deadline yesterday.