SUFFER FROM ACHY JOINTS? COME TO THE SAINT JOHN CANNABIS CAFE AND
LIGHT UP

Saint John, N.B. - Like any small-business owner, Jim Wood has dreams
of becoming a big-time entrepreneur.

"I can see us becoming a major tourist draw for Saint John," he said
in a recent interview. "We could fill every hotel in the city with
medicinal marijuana users."

Mr. Wood, 34, and his wife, Lynn, 30, operate the Hemp NB Cannabis
Cafe on Canterbury Street.

"We cater to everyone in the marijuana culture," Mr. Wood
says.

"If someone is smoking pot recreationally, that's fine with us. If
someone needs medical marijuana, we can help there as well."

It's not unusual for customers to be waiting at the door when the
Woods arrive for the noon start of their business day.

Customers are welcome to bring their own stash and smoke a joint as
long as they buy a coffee or pop at $2 each.

They can relax on the couch or play a game of chess by the front
window to pass the time.

Or they can browse through the shop's display of smoking accessories -
pipes and cigarette papers, among other items - that are for sale.

The presence of a community police station right across the street
might be seen as a deterrent to someone in the marijuana business. Mr.
Wood just shrugs it off.

"This is the location we found, and they just happen to be close by,"
he said. "Sometimes they park their cruiser right outside our door and
people take pictures. It's a great photo opportunity."

While an easy truce exists between the shop owners and the police next
door, it hasn't always been that way. Police twice laid charges after
raids at their old location on King Street last May.

"They charged an AIDS patient and his helper with possession, and
three girls who were sharing a joint were charged with trafficking,"
Mr. Wood said.

The cases are in the hands of the Crown's office in Fredericton but
have not been brought to court.

That doesn't mean police are turning a blind eye to the goings-on at
the Cannabis Cafe.

"If he is selling cannabis, he will be charged with trafficking," said
Sgt. Pat Bonner of the Saint John police.

But Mr. Wood isn't worried about run-ins with the police.

"If people bring their own pot here to smoke, that's legal," he said.
"I'm not breaking any laws by allowing people to get high in my store."

Even though he recently started selling marijuana for medicinal
purposes, Mr. Wood doesn't expect problems.

The federal government is moving toward legalizing marijuana for
medical use, so "to charge me with doing the same thing would be
hypocritical," he said.

To obtain marijuana at the Cannabis Cafe for a medical condition, a
customer must present a doctor's certificate or a sworn affidavit
signed by a notary public that the drug is required to alleviate any
number of medical problems.

There are more than 300 ailments on the list at the shop, from cancer
and arthritis to smoking dependency and dandruff, so it would be
difficult not to have a medical problem that marijuana would help.

Once the paperwork is cleared, customers can order from the daily
specials on the chalkboard behind the counter.

New Brunswick Outdoor, Monster Bud or Purple Poison can be purchased
for as little as $10 a gram. One gram could be good for up to five
treatments, depending on the patient's condition.

"You can smoke it here or take it home," Mr. Wood said.

Members also get an ID number and a password for security
purposes.

With medical marijuana for sale across the counter, the Cannabis Cafe
owners expect business to boom.

"I see a huge market from the United States, both as a tourist
attraction, and from people seeking medical treatment," Mr. Wood said.

On days when the big cruise ships are in port, its not unusual for
more than 200 people to stop by the shop, so word is getting out on
the street to a lot of potential customers.

The Cannabis Cafe Web site will soon be posting membership
applications online to allow people to become members via the Internet.

"That way, when they come to town, all the paperwork is done. They can
just walk in, make their purchase, and light up," Mr. Wood said.

There is one strict rule at the Cannabis Cafe, however. Cigarette
smoking is not allowed.

"Cigarette smoke hangs in their air too long," Lynn Wood said. "Pot
doesn't linger like tobacco smoke does."