MARIJUANA POSSESSION STILL ILLEGAL

Chilliwack RCMP say a recent appeal court ruling in Ontario upholding the
law against possession of marijuana will have no effect here. "We've never
changed our way of doing things," says RCMP Const. Dave Aucoin, adding that
the law against possession has always been enforced by Chilliwack RCMP
officers. Some police forces reportedly stopped enforcing possession laws
after an Ontario court ruled unconstitutional the government's Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act because it did not provide an exemption for
medical use. But medical marijuana patients are celebrating another part of
the Ontario appeal court's ruling this week, which allows them to grow
their own marijuana or to obtain it from designated growers, instead of
buying it illegally on the black market. "The ruling isn't meant for
(recreational users), but for the sick people," says Brian Carlisle, a
Chilliwack resident who founded the Holy Smoke compassion club and holds a
licence to grow medical marijuana. The ruling also allows licenced growers
to be paid for supplying marijuana to sick people, so the Holy Smoke club
could start growing for its 100 members, he says. Mr. Carlisle also
believes the Ontario court ruling bolsters his case seeking $90,000
compensation for marijuana plants seized by RCMP officers more than two
years ago. Mr. Carlisle contends the seizure of his marijuana plants, which
was later over-turned because of his medical condition, forced him to pay
that amount on the black market and at other compassion clubs. Meanwhile,
the federal government appears to be backing off legislation to
decriminalize possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana, possibly
dropping the limit to 10 grams and adding stiffer penalties for repeat
offenders.

The legislation originally called for a $100 fine for adults caught with
more than 15 grams of marijuana, instead of a criminal record.