WEST SHORE RCMP RAID VANCOUVER ISLAND THERAPEUTIC CANNABIS RESEARCH INSTITUTE

At around 1pm Thursday the West Shore RCMP executed a warrant at the
Vancouver Island Therapeutic Cannabis Research Institute (VITCRI), a
medicinal cannabis research and cultivation facility. VITCRI was a
lab-style production and research facility designed to ensure a safe and
standardized source of organic medicine for the 390 members of the
Vancouver Island Compassion Society (www.thevics.com), a long-standing
Victoria non-profit compassion society.

"This is devastating", stated Philippe Lucas, founder and Director of the
VICS. "With Health Canada bumbling the production and distribution of
cannabis, we've strived to ensure the safety and quality of the VICS
product by testing it for cannabinoids, heavy metals, and biological
impurities; with the execution of a single warrant all of our members have
been thrown back into the vagaries and uncertainties of the black market."

In a previous case involving the VICS, Lucas received an absolutely
discharge and praise from the judge, who stated "Mr. Lucas enhanced other
peoples lives at minimal or no risk to society ... he provided that which
the Government was unable to provide a safe and high quality supply of
marijuana to those needing it for medicinal purposes."

As a result of this police action against the VITCRI, that "safe and high
quality supply" is no longer, and 2 men face serious charges for helping
over 390 critically and chronically ill medicinal users.

Since 90% of Canadians support the medical use of cannabis, and with Health
Canada clearly unable to meet its commitments to Canada's medicinal users,
why are taxpayer money, and police and court resources still wasted on the
arrest and prosecution of medicinal cannabis users and producers?