cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Tea Houses for the Ill Open in B.C.





Marijuana Tea Houses for the Ill Open in B.C.
Posted by FoM on November 02, 2001 at 19:09:15 PT
By Roxanne Gregory, Canadian Press 
Source: Miami Herald
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.''Complete Title: Marijuana Tea Houses for the Ill Open in British ColumbiaSource: Miami Herald (FL)Author: Roxanne Gregory, Canadian Press Published: Thursday, November 1, 2001 Copyright: 2001 The Miami HeraldContact: heralded herald.comWebsite: http://www.herald.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Renee Boje's Home Pagehttp://www.reneeboje.com/FTE's Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmSick People Can Breathe Easier in New Pot Venuehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11238.shtmlMarijuana `Teahouse' Opens Today in Vancouver http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11228.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by Robbie on November 02, 2001 at 23:03:51 PT
SoCal Get Together
 TO:   California residents FROM:  Richard Schmitz, MPP director of state policies DATE:  Friday, November 2, 2001 SUBJECT: Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center to hold vigil ============================================================ The Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center (LACRC) will hold a candle light vigil on Tuesday, November 6, at 5:00 p.m. The event, "A Candle Light Call To Compassion," will commemorate the fifth anniversary of the enactment of Proposition 215 and the opening of the LACRC on election night in November 1996. In addition to celebrating California law, members and supporters of the LACRC will protest the federal government's recent raid of the Center and the disruption of patients' access to medical marijuana. The LACRC is located at 7494 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. You are encouraged to attend. Feel free to bring candles and friends. To learn about MPP's legislative tracking efforts in California, and to read about recent events surrounding the LACRC, please visit http://www.mpp.org/CA ============================================================
UNDERnews
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Comment #2 posted by puff_tuff on November 02, 2001 at 22:04:44 PT:
Lisa and Renee
The courage, strength, and sacrifice has been proven time again by these women. We all are very proud of them.Here is some of the local coverage they received.
http://www.drugsense.org/temp/coastreporter.htm
Thats a temporary page, but it will work for a while.Coast to coast activists in Canada are thumbing their noses at the Federal Governments inept medical marijuana regulations. They are opening outlets to enable the sick and dieing access to medicine. Period.I am proud to be a part of this.
B.C. Marijuana Party
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Comment #1 posted by herbdoc215 on November 02, 2001 at 21:37:23 PT:
Sanctuary in B.C. from the Gestapo
Hello to all Americans from freeBC, as a board member of the Sunshine Compassion Club let me be the first to offer refuge to any medical patients from US. Many of us on the baord are expatriots who fled here to save our lives. We have the genetics between us of BC, Amsterdam, Ky., and Humboldt,Ca. So when I say that we are going to be pushing the edge of science and research, I mean real change and access to medicine for the ill. We are here to help and are preparing for a horde of people seeking life like myself. When the rule of law has broken down to the point it has in Humboldt County, where the sheriff and his henchmen can destroy lives on a vendetta, or racial hate acting as "drug laws". I have found a place on the Sunshine Coast to heal and rebuild my life in peace, everyone should experience this freedom. With all the pain and killing today it's little to ask for a place to have the right to self determine my own destiny! Steven Tuck, MS 
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