LEGAL POT 'CLUBS' SEEK NON-PROFIT STATUS

A local group distributing medical marijuana to people with chronic
illnesses is looking for tax-exempt, non-profit status under Alberta Law.

The Edmonton Compassion Network opened for business and started delivering
the green medicine to its eight members on Oct. 1 after getting "seed"
money from the B.C.-based Marijuana Party.

"We want people to know none of the money is intended for our gain," said
Munir Ahmad, director and co-founder of the compassion network.

Compassion clubs operate in a legal grey area: people with certain
incurable medical conditions can get federal permission to smoke marijuana,
but the only way they can get it legally is to grow it themselves or
designate someone with a federal growers permit to get it for them.

"Unless they want to grow it themselves, they're left to their own
devices," said Ahmad, adding not all of his clients have Health Canada's
permission to smoke pot.

He said those that don't have Health Canada exemption have letters from
their doctors recommending marijuana to ease their symptoms.

If the network receives the non-profit status through the provincial
Societies Act, Ahmad said it would be able to do more to help its seriously
ill member - like providing them with tips on pot-related recipes and
growing techniques.

That would be good news for Mike, a network client who declined to give his
last name. Mike has a rare form of cancer. Two operations, bouts of
chemotherapy and radiation treatment left him too weak to even get out of
bed. He said marijuana helped him to cut back on his other pain medication
and escape its side-effects.

"The difference is between sitting in bed 24 hours a day and being able to
get up and walk around," he said.

"Now I don't feel so useless. I can help my wife take care of the kids."

Mike said he's bought about $1000 worth of equipment to grow his own, but
he doesn't know where to start.

"I'm no grower. It's quite an art form," he said. "You pretty much have to
go out and look for it, and you always worry about getting caught or ripped
off."

Canadian Alliance MP Peter Goldring said he has nothing against the
medicinal use of marijuana, but he's got a problem with the network's bid
for charity status.

"That's putting the cart in front of the horse," he said. "To say it's
non-profit is a misnomer. Many non-profit agencies make enormous profits."