MARIJUANA TEA HOUSES FOR THE ILL OPEN IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

The chronically ill who find marijuana gives them relief from their
symptoms will be able to eat, drink or smoke their medicine in two new
operations opened in the area.

The Sunshine Coast Compassion Club opened about a week ago in this coastal
community and earlier this week, the Marijuana Teahouse opened on
Vancouver's gritty downtown eastside.

The Gibsons club is operated by Lisa Kirkman, a former B.C. Marijuana Party
candidate in the last provincial election, and Renee Boje, a U.S. fugitive
currently appealing an extradition order for a 1997 medicinal marijuana
bust in California.

Canada gave the green light to medicinal marijuana use in July, but Kirkman
said the bureaucratic approvals process is slow, and even when a medical
marijuana exemption is granted, people don't know where to get it.

"People shouldn't have to stand on a street corner to get their medicine,"
Kirkman said, adding that so far, the community -- including the mayor --
has been supportive.

The club offers cannabis cookies, brownies, tinctures, salves, hashish and
local organically grown medicinal marijuana.

Kirkman said most compassion club members are over 50 and have disabling
conditions including cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, epilepsy, fibromyalgia,
glaucoma or multiple sclerosis.

Some patients are bed-ridden and Boje and Kirkman make house calls when
necessary.

To be a member of the club, patients must provide proof of illness and pay
a nominal fee to join.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is evaluating the Gibson storefront
operation.

Police in Vancouver are also monitoring the Marijuana Teahouse. The
teahouse doesn't have a permanent business license.

Organizers expect most people who take pot will do so by working the drug
into tea or butter. Only a minority will actually light up.

"We're not . . . going to be walking around with Jamaican-sized joints to
impress the public about our smoking abilities," said Michael Maniotis,
another director.

"That's not the purpose here. Eighty per cent of what's going on here as
far as medicating will be through ingestion, which means eating it."

One prospective customer said he was looking forward to using the teahouse
as a peaceful place to learn new ways, besides cigarettes, to take his pot.

The customer, who called himself Mark, is a 37-year-old diagnosed with HIV.

"The benefit of something like this is exposure to people who have
knowledge of using marijuana in spaghetti sauce and other things," he said.
"Smoking is not the best way. It's detrimental to your lungs."