IT'S NOT A DRUG-BUYERS' CLUB

Re: "Pot laws need thorough overhaul," Sept. 13.

The editorial implies that Victoria compassion clubs have been
distributing cannabis "to users who are simply asked to sign a bit of
paper saying they need it for medical purposes."

As the founder and director of the Vancouver Island Compassion Society
(VICS), I can assure you that this is simply not the case.

Like many Canadian compassion societies, the VICS requires a
physician's recommendation for the use of cannabis in order to proceed
with registration and treatment.

While I applaud and support Da Kine Cafe's attempts to create a safe
place for the recreational sale and use of cannabis, I would argue
that their policies and procedures are closer to a Dutch-style cafe or
a buyer's club than a true compassion society.

Unlike Da Kine, most Canadian compassion societies are registered
non-profit organizations that not only help their members access a
safe supply of cannabis, but often assist them with serious problems
such as abusive relationships, nutritional concerns, affordable
housing, legal problems, disability issues, and education and advocacy
on the safety and effectiveness of medicinal cannabis on various conditions.

In addition, the VICS is currently engaged in a number of research
projects, including a hepatitis-C survey with the University of
California San Francisco, and a nausea, cannabis and pregnancy study
with UBC.

Recreational cannabis shops like Da Kine are a necessary and positive
first step toward a more pragmatic and progressive national drug
policy, but to compare their retail operation with legitimate
compassion societies only serves to further confuse an already
complicated and contentious legal and social/welfare issue.

Philippe Lucas,

Victoria