COPS WANT POT CLUB REGULATED

City police want the Compassion Club closed unless it stops distributing
pot to people without Health Canada permits.

Currently, the Commercial Drive club only requires its members to present a
doctor's certificate saying they would benefit from marijuana consumption
in order to buy pot.

Use of medical marijuana in Canada is only legal if the consumer has
permission from Health Canada.

Insp. Kash Heed, head of Vancouver Police Department's drug squad, said
he's in discussions with city licensing staff and Health Canada to
determine what can be done to regulate the Compassion Club.

"We are trying to establish who will enforce non-compliance of
regulations," said Heed, adding the situation is complicated by the fact
that Health Canada has refused to give him a list of Vancouverites with
medicinal marijuana permits.

"Information from Health Canada is very limited and that causes us
frustration. I've asked if they have an enforcement branch and I've not
received a reply. We don't even have a list."

Hilary Black, founder of the Compassion Club, said the process to get a
Health Canada permit is extremely bureaucratic, tedious and difficult.

"The medical community are not in favour of medicinal use of marijuana.
People have been given the legal right to access medical marijuana, but
they can't get down the path. There are too many road blocks."

The Compassion Club formed in 1997 and has 2,000 members, with the number
growing by about 40 a month. The club buys about 40 pounds of pot a month
from growers throughout the Lower Mainland, which it then sells to members.

The club also offers alternative medical help to members, either for free
or for $3 a session.

Black said some members have Health Canada permits to use marijuana, but
most rely on a doctor's certificate.

Nonetheless, Black said not everybody who wants it gets pot. The club gives
members a package of information to take to their doctors or naturopaths,
who must then fill out a form. The club then contacts the doctor to confirm
the information, and conducts a 90-minute interview with the potential
member. "It's not easy to become a member-we don't distribute pot to
anybody," she said. "I'm sure the police have had members registered here
to see what we are doing, but we are very transparent and accountable. The
police have been neutral; they haven't raided us."

Some of the Compassion Club's contracted growers have been busted, but
Black said the courts have given those growers absolute discharges.

Heed said police are monitoring the Compassion Club, but there are no plans
to raid the premises.

"It's not as simple as going in and closing it down. There are medicinal
regulations in place. I've been working with city licensing to ensure the
club has the proper business licences. We want to meet with Hilary to talk
to her about this."