cannabisnews.com: Compassion Society Busted After Marijuana Theft Compassion Society Busted After Marijuana Theft Posted by FoM on November 23, 2000 at 09:19:34 PT By Craig McInnes, Sun Legislature Bureau Source: Vancouver Sun When Phillipe Lucas went to Oak Bay police to report a break-in, he did so with trepidation. After all, he was reporting the theft of about a pound and a half of marijuana, $400 in cash and 30 white chocolate and cranberry cannabis cookies. But as the director of Vancouver Island Compassion Society -- a non-profit organization that buys for its members marijuana to be used for medicinal purposes -- he expected a bit of compassion from the police. He didn't get it. Instead, police raided the club and have recommended charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking and trafficking under the controlled substances act. Police in the tweedy Victoria suburb say they are upholding the law, but Lucas said Wednesday his members will be forced into the hands of criminals for what they say is essential medical treatment now that their marijuana has been seized. "We pay just below street prices," Lucas said. Recently, that has been about $2,200 for a pound of grade A, indoor organic marijuana. "Organic is very important to us," Lucas said. "That's the biggest concern here, safe cannabis. That's the biggest difference we can make here as opposed to buying off the street." The registered non-profit society has been in operation for a little over a year. Some of roughly 130 members have referrals from their doctors, a few have exemptions from Health Canada, allowing them to possess marijuana. They all say they need the drug for their health. "It's our medicine," said Lucas, who suffers from hepatitis C. Recently, Health Canada started providing what are known as section 56 exemptions for people to cultivate and possess marijuana for medical purposes. Health Canada is in the process of letting a contract for Canada's first legal marijuana farm, but it could be as much as a year before the first crop is in. Police point out there is no legal source of marijuana or even marijuana seeds. "What we're alleging is that the society and those that are connected with it are trafficking in cannabis and there is no exclusion under current legislation that would allow that to happen," Oak Bay Police Chief Ben Andersen said Wednesday. According to Andersen, when Lucas reported the theft of marijuana, he provided a name of a possible suspect and the police were able to recover the stolen goods. When Lucas went back to the police station to identify the drugs and ask for them back, not only did police refuse, on Tuesday they raided the club and have recommended the trafficking charges. The Vancouver Island Compassion Society and the larger Vancouver-based compassion club formed to provide a safe source of marijuana for their members, Lucas said. Now, he said, that safety is in jeopardy. A 44-year-old Victoria man who asked to be identified only as James said the raid will force him to seek drugs from street dealers. James said he is suffering from fibromyalgia and has been given less than a year to live. Since becoming ill, he said he has dropped from 170 to 126 pounds. "Without cannabis, I can't hold food down," he said. "Now I'm going to have to go to a criminal source to get my medicine." Canada's marijuana law has been under a cloud since an Ontario judge ruled that it is unconstitutional because it does not make exceptions for people who require marijuana for medical purposes. But rather than strike down the law, however, the judge gave the government 12 months to make appropriate changes. Dave Hurford, an aide to Health Minister Allan Rock, said new regulations are being developed that will satisfy the court. Note: Medicinal marijuana is not legal, police say. Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)Author: Craig McInnes, Sun Legislature BureauPublished: Thursday November 23, 2000Copyright: The Vancouver Sun 2000Address: 200 Granville Street, Ste.#1Vancouver BC V6C 3N3Fax: (604) 605-2323Contact: sunletters pacpress.southam.caWebsite: http://www.vancouversun.com/Vancouver Island Compassion Clubhttp://www.thevics.com/Health Canadahttp://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/azindex_mno.htm#marijCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by MikeEEEEE on November 23, 2000 at 22:04:31 PT Right Kaptinemo, your right about one thing. We the people means something, yes, the pols will do it, WE must take our freedom back. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on November 23, 2000 at 17:51:53 PT: Robot police Did you ever wonder where the word 'robot' came from? It's Russian, short for 'robotnik': "worker". The word connotes a mindless drudge. A dull-witted automaton. Or, what my Normandy-surviving Dad used to call a person who 'just follows orders' as being a typical 'good German'.To expect such as they to extend any compassion towards their sworn enemy is ludicrous. To believe that they will not try to take advantage of such hardship as spelled out above is naive. Don't bother trying to change the minds of such as these. They are not worth the effort, as they will just repeat to you their mantra of 'just prosecuting the laws'. The law could be something silly like not having prams on the sidewalk after 8AM; they'd just as soon pitch the baby out into the gutter and impound the baby carriage for forfeiture. It doesn't matter to them one wit what the law is; so long as they receive a paycheck for prosecuting it, they will. Aim for the pols, instead. Don't bother asking for succor from the enemy; after all, THEY declared *war* on US, remember? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by halo on November 23, 2000 at 17:02:11 PT: Fear of the BEAST I wonder how many people were killed, raped, and robbed in the time it took to raid your COMPASSION club...? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on November 23, 2000 at 13:45:12 PT Not Legal > Note: Medicinal marijuana is not legal, police say. Sounds like the police are doing their robotic job, if it's illegal then they arrest; something about doing their job.In that area I'd have to imagine some police don't have their heart into arresting marijuana smokers. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: