MOVE WON'T AID MEDICINAL USERS ARGUES COMPASSION CLUB SOCIETY

MONTREAL (CP) -- Ottawa's much-anticipated legislation aimed at
decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana would still end up punishing
those who need the drug for medical purposes, an advocate for medicinal
cannabis said Monday.

"This scheme is essentially picking on poor people," Hilary Black,
spokesperson for the British Columbia Compassion Club Society, told a news
conference.

"People who are ill tend to be living in the most poverty."

They are often forced to choose between food and marijuana because the
current laws often force users to pay street prices of between $150 to $300
per ounce, said Black.

The federal government is expected to unveil legislation this week aimed at
decriminalizing possession of marijuana in amounts below 15 grams.

Decriminalization does not legalize marijuana possession. But instead of
mandatory court appearances and the risk of a criminal record, offenders
could face fines similar to traffic violations.

Health Canada currently allows approved patients to smoke marijuana to
relieve pain and nausea associated with illnesses such as multiple
sclerosis, Crohn's disease and hepatitis.

But the approval is often difficult and time-consuming to obtain, said
Philippe Lucas, director of the Vancouver Island Compassion Society.