cannabisnews.com: Pot Bust Sends Society Reeling





Pot Bust Sends Society Reeling
Posted by CN Staff on June 02, 2004 at 08:25:02 PT
By Robin Wark, Sooke News Mirror
Source: Sooke News Mirror 
Last week's RCMP bust of an East Sooke marijuana grow-op has deprived almost 400 people from the medicinal pot they desperately need, according to the president of the Vancouver Island Compassion Society.Phillippe Lucas said the Victoria-based society's 399 members, who are battling critical and chronic illnesses, are now forced to look to the black market for their marijuana.
"It is an incredible shock to all of us," Lucas said of the Thursday afternoon bust. "It was the best and safest supply in Western Canada."West Shore RCMP members seized more than 900 plants from a house and an outbuilding on the same property in the 5000-block of Mt. Matheson Road Thursday, said Cpl. Brian Kerr of the detachment's street crime unit in a Friday interview. RCMP arrested a pair of men on the property for production of cannabis and for possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. The charges are under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Both men,whose names have not been released, are expected to appear in court this summer, Kerr said.However, Lucas is seeking to have the Crown prosecutors drop the charges against the two men because the marijuana was being grown for medical purposes. The president identified the two men as being the paid caretaker of the facility, which is known as the Vancouver Island Therapeutic Cannabis Research Institute, and a friend who dropped by.The facility was a lab-style operation and was very clearly marked by signs as an operation of the compassion society, Lucas said. Kerr described the operation as "very sophisticated" and noted that "a lot of time and money went into it." It is one of the largest he's seen in his 20 years in this kind of work.The society's president was in contact via phone with Kerr several times during Thursday's operation, Lucas said. He alleges the RCMP were trying to clarify with Health Canada how many plants could legally be grown but this could not be accomplished because the offices in Ottawa were closed. Kerr could not be reached for comment Monday on the matter.The facility had been operating for about 15 months and was licensed to have 70 plants, according to Lucas. When asked why there were more than 900 plants, the president said they were for research and to supply the society's members. There were 35 different strains of marijuana. Each was cultivated to treat different medical conditions."Every gram that was produced by the facility was accounted for by the compassion society," Lucas said. "Our entire goal was to do this in a way that provided the safest and most secure supply and broke us away from the (vagueness) of the black market."Lucas would not speak about who actually owned the Mt. Matheson property, but said himself and the society were leasing it.Though he would not say how much members were doling out to acquire marijuana from the facility, the president said the East Sooke operation caused a dramatic drop in price. Now, Lucas said his organization must find growers to supply its members, who are fighting such illnesses as cancer and AIDS. As well as the loss of supply and research, Lucas said the bust means the society is using its energies in court and in justifying its work, rather than serving its members.When asked if the society would reestablish the research institute, Lucas said "The compassion society will do what we can for the members."The information leading to the RCMP executing the search warrant last week is sealed by court order, Kerr said, and is part of an ongoing investigation. Sooke RCMP Staff Sgt. Jennie Latham said her detachment was notified about the operation, but was not involved.The raid seems to have surprised Mt. Matheson Road neighbours as one male resident said himself and those he has spoken to on the road were not aware of the marijuana growing operation. However, now that people know about it, he is concerned for the neighbourhood's safety. He worries people trying to rip off grow-ops might comb the neighbourhood looking for it and increased traffic could endanger the children living nearby. Source: Sooke News Mirror (CN BC)Author: Robin Wark, Sooke News MirrorPublished: June 2, 2004Copyright: 2004 Sooke News MirrorContact: editor sooke.vinewsgroup.comWebsite: http://www.sookenewsmirror.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:VICShttp://www.thevics.com/CannabisNews Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmMounties' Pot Bust Leaves Patients Without Supplyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18921.shtmlPot Club Had Police OK, Court Toldhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18906.shtmlThe Catch-22 of Compassion http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15592.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on June 08, 2004 at 18:45:43 PT
June 8, 2004: CSA Press Release: VITCRI Bust 
   
 Compassion Clubs Lament RCMP Raid of Vancouver Island Therapeutic Cannabis Research Institute - Charges Must be Dropped and Medicine Must be Returned Immediately"The recent raid on the Vancouver Island Therapeutic Cannabis Research Institute (VITCRI) is a devastating reminder of the failure of Canada's cannabis laws and Health Canada's program," stated Dom Cramer of the Toronto Compassion Centre.On Thursday May 27th VITCRI, a medicinal cannabis research and cultivation facility was raided and destroyed by RCMP constables. The institute was the sole supplier of the Vancouver Island Compassion Society's (www.thevics.com) 400 critically and chronically ill members. The non-profit facility produced the safest and highest medical grade organic cannabis, as well as standardized medicine that was to be used in a smoked cannabis and chronic pain clinical protocol.Although it appears that RCMP were not initially aware of the connection of the facility to the Vancouver Island Compassion Society, they proceeded to seize and destroy the plants even after they were informed that this was a medical supply. "This shows utter disregard for the welfare of the critically and chronically ill recipients of this medicine. Compassion club members deserve to have uninterrupted access to the best quality medicine possible. The destruction of VITCRI has seriously jeopardized their health", lamented Dom Cramer. Compassion clubs and societies across the country provide over 7000 Canadians access to high quality cannabis in a safe environment that is conducive to healing. Despite directives from the Senate and the Courts, Health Canada has not proceeded to license these societies. "Canadians like Philippe Lucas and the two men arrested at the facility are engaging in civil disobedience to ensure people in need have access to a medicine that can benefit them. These people must be protected by the law, and the charges must be dropped," stated Rielle Capler of the British Columbia Compassion Club Society.A protest/press conference is planned for the 10th of June at 1pm at 880 Douglas St., Victoria. Canadians for Safe Access, compassion clubs, their members and supporters are asking that the charges be dropped against the two men at VITCRI, that all medicine be returned, and that the laws be amended to ensure future protection from such raids.Contact: Dom Cramer, Toronto Compassion Centre: 416-896-3240 dom torontohemp.com Rielle Capler, BC Compassion Club Society: 604-875-0448 rielle thecompassionclub.org Philippe Lucas, Vancouver Island Compassion Society: 250-884-9821 phil thevics.comTo see incredible pictures of the Cannabis Research Institute before and after the raid, please see: http://thevics.com/vitcriraid.htm 
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on June 02, 2004 at 11:04:47 PT
I Love This Poster
http://fillthehill.ca/FTHPoster1.jpg
Fill The Hill - June 5th, 2004
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Comment #3 posted by ekim on June 02, 2004 at 10:56:07 PT
Jun 5 04 Fill The Hill 02:00 PM Jack Cole Ottawa 
http://www.leap.cc/events/events.php
Jun 3 04 Coal Creek (Louisville/Lafayette) Rotary 12:00 PM Howard Wooldridge Louisville Colorado USA 
 LEAP's diamond in the rough Board Member Howard Wooldridge lunches with the Coal Creek Rotary to examine the failure of drug prohibition. Jun 3 04 Ottawa Redeau Kiwanis 01:00 PM Jack Cole Ottawa Ontario Canada 
 Executive Director Jack Cole visits with the Ottawa Redeau Kiwanis to discuss and explore viable alternatives to the failed war on drugs. Jun 4 04 University Hills Rotary 12:00 PM Howard Wooldridge Denver Colorado USA 
 The hills are alive with the sound of Board Member Howard Wooldidge as he meets with the University Hills Rotary Club to discuss alternatives to the failed war on drugs. Jun 4 04 Fill The Hill Press Conference 10:00 AM Jack Cole Parliment Hill Ottawa Canada 
 Executive Director Jack Cole & Alison Myrden will participate in a press conference regarding the Fill the Hill Rally on June 5th. Jun 5 04 Fill The Hill 02:00 PM Jack Cole Ottawa Ontario Canada 
 Executive Director Jack Cole and Alison Myrden will be heading to Ottawa, Ontario to speak at the Fill The Hill event. For more information: http://www.fillthehill.ca/speakers.html Jun 7 04 Silverton Rotary Club 12:00 PM Howard Wooldridge Silverton Oregon USA 
 Board Member Howard Wooldridge will be shining bright with members of theSilverton Rotary Club as he explains issues related to the failed war on drugs. 
http://www.leap.cc
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Comment #2 posted by kaptinemo on June 02, 2004 at 09:24:40 PT:
Something I'd like to know
At what TIME did the raid take place? There is a 3 hour difference between VIctoria and Ottawa; surely the police were cognizant of that fact. Which would make their attempts to contact government offices in Ottawa more than disingenuously silly(And given this fact, I would maintain that they were aware, and that's why they did it at the time they did.)And, as an added consideration, (as the great philospher Krishnamurti used to say) "Think on these things."1) Prohibition creates price supports for REAL criminals.2) Prohibition also provides the law emforcement apparatus with their livelihood.3) The Compassion Club caused a DROP in price. Cannabis began to exhibit the long-predicted fall of it's artificially high price.4) The drop in price was negatively affecting the profit of those selling illegally.5) It was also threatening the rationale behind prohibiton: cheaper weed means less inclination to engage in it's traffic by less savory characters. Ergo, it also leads to LESS NEED FOR POLICE.So...two groups have a definite stake at maintaining these price controls...and neither oen can literally AFFORD the price to drop to its' TRUE levels.Sick, isn't it? The swine and the crooks *both* need to keep medicine out of the hands of sick people. Looks like the police acted out of self-preservation to me...with their supposed opponents in organzed crime cheering them on.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on June 02, 2004 at 08:32:19 PT
Dutch News in Brief - June 2, 2004
Women Biggest Users of Medicinal Cannabis Two thirds of people who use cannabis for medicinal purposes are female and 60 percent of users have smoked marijuana before, new research indicates. Most users of medicinal cannabis have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. It has been possible since Autumn 2003 for seriously ill patients to obtain cannabis with a doctor's prescription at a pharmacy. Research bureau Pharmo also said the introduction of medicinal cannabis has not led to non-patients seeking cannabis at pharmacists.http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=19&story_id=8132
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