A PIPE DREAM FOR OTTAWA

Kid's Book Part Of Effort To Help Start Medicinal Pot Club

A Group of Ottawa medicinal pot users is working to establish a
Compassion Club by the summer to help people with medical conditions
access good, clean cannabis. "We want the community to know that what
we want to set up is not some little hash club. It's something to help
the community where Health Canada has failed," said Russell Barth, a
federal medical marijuana licence holder, who is spearheading a group
trying to establish the club.

Barth smokes about a gram a day to treat the pain, spasticity,
insomnia, anxiety, and nausea caused by his fibromyalgia.

Barth's crusade started after a friend took off with $300 of his money
when he was supposed to get Barth pot from a "street source" in
September 2002.

He never came back and Barth had no money and no medicine.

A group running an informal club in Ottawa came to his aid and he's
since vowed to establish a proper club in the capital.

"We don't want to have something on Rideau St. with psychedelic
paintings and a big pot leaf in the window ... we want to have a
discreet little office and we'd like to establish a secure, reliable
source," he said.

He and several medicinal pot users want to model the club after ones
in Victoria, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. It would operate as a
"drop-in centre" where people could buy "clean" and "organically
grown" pot in a safe environment.

DOCTOR'S PROOF

Barth explains members would have to have proof from a doctor that
they require the weed for medicinal purposes.

Last April, he and his roommate, Christine Lowe, a medical pot licence
holder who suffers from epilepsy, published a book, Mommy's Funny
Medicine, to teach kids about medical marijuana.

They did this with the help of Ottawa marijuana activist Mike Foster,
the owner of the Crosstown Traffic store on Bank St. The book costs
$10, with half going to start the Compassion Club in Ottawa.

Barth also wants the club to be recognized as a non-profit
organization which will be run by volunteers.

While he hopes the club isn't shut down by cops, he isn't too
optimistic. He recognizes police have to abide by the law, and said he
wants to see the laws changed to decriminalize pot.

Anyone who wants a copy of the book, or an application for the club,
can go to Crosstown Traffic, 593-C Bank St. Phone 234-1210 for details.