cannabisnews.com: Montreal Compassion Club Goes Step Further Montreal Compassion Club Goes Step Further Posted by CN Staff on September 06, 2003 at 07:08:58 PT By Martin Patriquin, Special to The Globe and Mail Source: Globe and Mail Montreal -- The menu at the Montreal Compassion Club is quite unlike those of the chic cafés and bistros that populate the city's Plateau district. For $7, you can get a gram of Mexican sativa. For $10, you can buy Afghan, Blueberry or the more potent 39-Kush. For $15, you can get a gram of "Super Moroccan" hash, which, according to the man behind the counter, is "the best in the city." And unlike any other compassion club in the country, people don't need a doctor's note to get anything off the list. All that is required is a sworn statement that the person has a chronic ailment, and they can buy up to 5 grams of anything that helps ease the pain.This has been the arrangement since December, 2002, said Boris St-Maurice, a local marijuana activist and director of the Compassion Club. Although the club has distributed medical marijuana to its 300 members since 1999, Mr. St-Maurice decided to relax the rules in late 2002 because most doctors were reluctant to endorse (much less prescribe) the drug."The college of physicians wanted nothing to do with it, the Canadian Medical Association wanted nothing to do with it," Mr. St-Maurice said. "Who wants to go to war with the doctors? It was a dead end."Instead, Mr. St-Maurice asks only that prospective patients join the compassion club (membership is free) and go to a notary public and make a sworn statement that they require medicinal marijuana. The City of Montreal will notarize these statements for $5, and as a result, more patients have been passing through city offices."Since February, I've done many, many declarations for people going to the Compassion Club," said Louise Ladouceur, a city clerk in the Plateau district.The sworn statement is taken to the club's headquarters, a small storefront just off St-Laurent Boulevard crammed with employees, volunteers and users. A file is opened, I.D. is checked and the prospective customer is told the club has the discretion to deny them marijuana.Once accepted, the new patient orders and waits, listening to decidedly un-cheesy waiting room music -- more Black Sabbath than Yanni. Within a few minutes, they are called behind a curtain, handed a baggy full of dope by a man behind a set of scales, and are asked for payment. "Montreal Compassion Club," reads the label. "For therapeutic use only. Not for resale.""I would defend the oath because of the quagmire surrounding doctors," Mr. St-Maurice said, estimating "maybe one person in 50" has lied to get marijuana. "These are a very small minority of cases. We are asking people for I.D. and documents. I won't hesitate to pursue legal action" against frauds.Nor is he particularly worried about trouble from police, given the number of cases involving marijuana pending in provincial and federal court. This includes three major cases before the Supreme Court, in which decisions are expected later this year."It would be very unwise to proceed with anything having to do with pot before the Supreme Court rulings. They might get egg on their face," Mr. St-Maurice said.The Montreal police haven't visited the Compassion Club, Mr. St-Maurice said. A police public-relations official could not comment yesterday.The club gets its pot from small-time growers and people dedicated to the cause. "Anybody but the bikers," Mr. St-Maurice said. "I've terminated contracts with people because they were too close to organized crime."The Vancouver Compassion Club, considered to be the pioneer when it comes to the distribution of medical marijuana, applauds Montreal's club."I have to commend them for their courage for taking the risk to help their patients," said Hillary Black, founder of the Vancouver club. "All the boundaries have to be pushed."Claude Messier is certainly grateful. The 37-year-old writer has muscular dystonia, a rare condition characterized by constant involuntary muscle contractions, and has been smoking up to 28 grams of pot a week since 1999."The Compassion Club is very good. It relaxes my muscles. If I don't smoke, the pain is so hard that it stops me from working."Note: A sworn statement of a chronic ailment allows one to buy up to 5 grams of pot.Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)Author: Martin Patriquin, Special To The Globe and MailPublished: Saturday, September 6, 2003 - Page A10 Copyright: 2003 The Globe and Mail CompanyContact: letters globeandmail.caWebsite: http://www.globeandmail.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Montreal Compassion Clubhttp://www.blocpot.qc.ca/ccm/english.htmlCompassion Club Wants Say in Pot Debate http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16268.shtmlQuebec Judge Throws Out Pot Casehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15015.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Post Comment