cannabisnews.com: A Pipe Dream for Ottawa





A Pipe Dream for Ottawa
Posted by CN Staff on January 18, 2004 at 08:06:58 PT
By Nelly Elayoubi, Ottawa Sun
Source: Ottawa Sun 
A group of Ottawa medicinal pot users is working to establish a Compassion Club by the summer to help people with medical conditions access good, clean cannabis. "We want the community to know that what we want to set up is not some little hash club. It's something to help the community where Health Canada has failed," said Russell Barth, a federal medical marijuana licence holder, who is spearheading a group trying to establish the club. Barth smokes about a gram a day to treat the pain, spasticity, insomnia, anxiety, and nausea caused by his fibromyalgia.
Barth's crusade started after a friend took off with $300 of his money when he was supposed to get Barth pot from a "street source" in September 2002. He never came back and Barth had no money and no medicine. A group running an informal club in Ottawa came to his aid and he's since vowed to establish a proper club in the capital. "We don't want to have something on Rideau St. with psychedelic paintings and a big pot leaf in the window ... we want to have a discreet little office and we'd like to establish a secure, reliable source," he said. He and several medicinal pot users want to model the club after ones in Victoria, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. It would operate as a "drop-in centre" where people could buy "clean" and "organically grown" pot in a safe environment.  DOCTOR'S PROOFBarth explains members would have to have proof from a doctor that they require the weed for medicinal purposes. Last April, he and his roommate, Christine Lowe, a medical pot licence holder who suffers from epilepsy, published a book, Mommy's Funny Medicine, to teach kids about medical marijuana. They did this with the help of Ottawa marijuana activist Mike Foster, the owner of the Crosstown Traffic store on Bank St. The book costs $10, with half going to start the Compassion Club in Ottawa. Barth also wants the club to be recognized as a non-profit organization which will be run by volunteers. While he hopes the club isn't shut down by cops, he isn't too optimistic. He recognizes police have to abide by the law, and said he wants to see the laws changed to decriminalize pot. Anyone who wants a copy of the book, or an application for the club, can go to Crosstown Traffic, 593-C Bank St. Phone 234-1210 for details. Note: Kid's book part of effort to help start medicinal pot club.Newshawk: KeganSource: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)Author: Nelly Elayoubi, Ottawa SunPublished: Sunday, January 18, 2004 Copyright: 2004 Canoe Limited PartnershipContact: editor sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.ottawasun.com/Mommy's Funny Medicinehttp://www.salvagingelectrons.com/mfm/Pot-TV Interview - Mommy's Funny Medicinehttp://www.pot-tv.net/ram/pottvshowse2070.ramCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by Virgil on January 18, 2004 at 20:15:09 PT
EJ, I read it from earlier comment
He is in a high visibility position. People are going to scream and the question will go out, "What is wrong?" They are learning they will be spending their children's education and grandma's life because they let the government sell them on locking up people as a way to deal with a non-existant substance abuse issue.There are wants and needs and when money is tight, needs come first. Arnold is killing himself as a politician and it looks like he is taking orders from the central treasonous cabal that are concentrating power for the wealthy. CounterPunch makes him look like a fool in this article- http://www.counterpunch.org/norris01172004.htmlThe LA Times also had an article saying there could be a dozen iniatives on the ballot in November and that people with clipboards are everywhere. I cannot believe that there is not a push to do the right thing and withdrawal from the War on Miracle Plant.
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Comment #4 posted by E_Johnson on January 18, 2004 at 15:14:19 PT
Virgil, the LA Times is on it
The LA Times is following the prison guards union like Elliott Ness followed Al Capone. "Robert Stern, a campaign finance expert and head of the nonprofit Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles, called the union "untouchable.""http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-guards18jan18,1,4804834.story?coll=la-home-local
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Comment #3 posted by escapegoat on January 18, 2004 at 14:30:40 PT
To order a copy of MFM...
Copies of the book can be purchased at the Crosstown Traffic store for $10 Canadian. To order copies by mail, send your address and a money order for CDN$10 + $3.50 shipping/handling (or USD$10, shipping and handling included) to: Crosstown Traffic
593-C Bank Street
Ottawa, ON
K1S 3T4
Canada
+1 613 234 1210
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Comment #2 posted by escapegoat on January 18, 2004 at 14:29:47 PT
Mommy's Funny Medicine
Link to the book...
Mommy's Funny Medicine
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Comment #1 posted by Virgil on January 18, 2004 at 10:40:06 PT
Arnold's budget to cut education and not prisons
The prison industry does not seems to be affected on the spending cuts coming to California. Education and health services take a big hit- http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/jan2004/cali-j17.shtml
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