cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Grower Takes Concerns To Macklin Marijuana Grower Takes Concerns To Macklin Posted by FoM on December 27, 2001 at 17:15:52 PT By Tom Philp, The Independent Source: Independent Online Dianne Bruce says she has been "bounced" from one local office to another in her efforts to have bail conditions amended, so she is taking her concerns to Northumberland MP Paul Macklin this week. The Cramahe Township woman has now received the exemption that should allow her to consume marijuana for medical purposes, but her crop of the herb remains seized, and she is legally prohibited from travelling outside of Northumberland -- even to see her family doctor. Bruce was featured in the October 10 edition of The Independent in an article about marijuana grown and consumed for medical purposes. Police drug squad officers raided her Dundonald home October 19, seizing marijuana grown for people approved to possess it under Section 56 of the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and personal items including grow lights and computer equipment. Michelle Hughey, Bruce's daughter from a previous marriage, was arrested during the raid along with her mother. Although Michelle was released, with restrictions, on her own recognizance, Bruce spent nine days in an overcrowded Whitby jail before being released on bail October 29. Bruce suffers from several illnesses including fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and severe migraine headaches. At the time of her arrest, she was growing marijuana for more than 40 "exemptees" who had contracted with her to supply medicine to them. Police reported seizing about 40 pounds of marijuana when they raided the Bruce residence in October. Although Bruce had not received her Section 56 exemption prior to the police raid on her home, she told officers Health Canada had assured her it was being processed. Ironically, her official medical marijuana exemption arrived in the mail two weeks after Bruce's release from jail. "(Police) knew Health Canada was approving my exemption, just like they knew marijuana was growing here months before they busted us," Bruce said in a recent telephone interview. Bruce said police are the least of her concerns at this time. Michelle has chronic asthma and also suffers from migraines. Dr. Kerlow, the family's physician, has offices at Brimley Road and Sheppard Avenue in Toronto. But bail conditions for both Bruce and Hughey prohibit them from leaving Northumberland County. "I'm paranoid about leaving the area, but Michelle has been very sick for weeks," Bruce said. "We couldn't get a local doctor." Bruce said she contacted the OPP about having bail conditions changed, and they referred her to Justice of the Peace Patricia McHenry in Cobourg. "The justice told me the OPP had misled me, and that I had to see the Crown Attorney to get (conditions) changed," she said. "So we went to the crown's office, and they said I had to see a different Crown Attorney." Bruce ended up at the offices of Doug Mann, a Cobourg lawyer who is acting as Federal Crown Attorney in the Bruce case. The information Mann provided did not lessen her paranoia, she said. "Mr. Mann said he would not 'rat us out' if we went to Toronto to our doctor, but if police stopped us we would be thrown in jail," Bruce said. A reporter from The Independent contacted Mann by telephone, but he said he could not discuss aspects of Bruce's case, or the case against Michelle. "How are we supposed to live like this?" Bruce asked, obviously overcome with emotion. "All I was doing was helping people, and Michelle got arrested just because she was in her own home when the cops came." Ms. Bruce said she is "sick and tired of the runaround," and having to "live like hermits" at the Dundonald residence. Bail conditions prohibit Bruce from making contact with her partner, Jerry Kresjola, or any of the exemptees for whom she was tending the marijuana garden. "I'm so incredibly lonely because I can't talk to my friends," she said. On December 19 Bruce will meet with MP Macklin at his Cobourg office. Marijuana activist Steven Bacon will accompany her, and they intend to point out "how ridiculous this situation is," she said. "My friends are sick and dying, and legally entitled to have their medicine," she said. "I have an exemption according to Health Canada, but no way to use it." "I want to tell Mr. Macklin that despite (Health Minister) Rock's good intentions, I look at my exemption every day and it's a joke," Ms. Bruce said. "I'm going to tell him this is a terrible way for authorities to treat somebody who was just fulfilling the immediate needs of sick people," she said. Sidebar: B.C. Case Provides Hope To Local Marijuana Grower By Tom Philp, The Independent A recent decision in a British Columbia court may strengthen the position of a Cramahe Township woman charged with cultivating marijuana. RCMP officers seized 1,000 grams of marijuana, 28 marijuana plants, growing equipment, computers and personal files during a November 9 raid on the British Columbia home of Jim Wakeford. Wakeford, an AIDS patient, made Canadian history in 1999 when he became one of the first two people granted a medical marijuana exemption under Health Canada drug regulations. Local grower Dianne Bruce was arrested at her Cramahe home on October 19 and charged with cultivating marijuana for the purpose of trafficking the drug. Bruce (whose story was featured in the October 10 edition of The Independent) has maintained that more than 40 exemptees, like Wakeford, had contracted with her to grow their "medicine." In a landmark decision December13, B.C. Provin-cial Court Judge Dan Moon ordered police to return 315 grams of medicinal marijuana, and other items taken from his home, to Wakeford. The judge instructed police to comply with his order within 30 days. In a recent telephone interview, Bruce said she was "excited and encouraged" by the B.C. decision. "When I go back to court early in the new year, my lawyer will be presenting this information to the judge," she said. "Maybe, like Jim, I can get my stuff back." Bruce said she will advise Northumberland MP Paul Macklin about the Wakeford case when she meets with him December 19. Source: Independent Online (CN ON)Author: Tom Philp, The Independent Published: December 19, 2001Copyright 1998--2001, Conolly Publishing Ltd.Contact: letters eastnorthumberland.comWebsite: http://www.eastnorthumberland.com/Related Articles & Web Site:FTE's Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmMarijuana Growers Make Court Appearances http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11345.shtmlPolice Get Warrant To Search Newspaper http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11268.shtmlDrug Squad Raids Cramahe Farm Property http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11197.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Post Comment