Group sells marijuana t sick people Club has 700 members Anna WMarie D'Angelo News Reporter dangeio@usuews.com FOR two years the Compassion Club in East Vancouver has been quietly selling marijuana to people with terminal illnesses and serious diseases. Compassion Club founder Hilary Black said the non protit society has had so problems with the polic “We are completely focused on the medicinai aspects (of marijuana) only” said Black, who was raised in West Vancouver. Black said the Compassion Club is a registered non-profit society with 700 members. She said that on doctors’ recom- mendations, sick and dying people join the Compassion Club. Club members can purchase marijuana to combat the side efivets of prescription drugs, for example Black said Compassion Club members are HIV. positive, have AIDS, cancer including leukemia, epilepsy, glaucoma, mul- tiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, arthriti i¢ pai Black said that marijuana can be drug side effects such as nausea and appetite loss that results from anti-viral drugs for HIV and chemotherapy for cancer. “Generally the only complaint we get is thar marijuana is ille- gal,” said Black. “Not that they think that people that, need it: medically shouldn't get it.” She said some people don’t like the way some marijuana sup- sare trying to change the law. to the point where we have had to resort to sbedience,” said Blach dat the Compassion Club carefully checked to make said that large amounts of marijua- in order to prevent being 3 tar- is not treated with pe sure there is no mould. Sh na are not kept on the pren tana is given to the Compassion 5.” Growers who do not wish to directly deal with the Compassion Club because of legal concerns con- nect with people Black called Compassion Club “friends.” These friends collect the marijuana from growers and store it. marijuana is then brought to the Compassion Club in rela- ly small amounts. “We don’t have 20 pounds of pot here or at our homes WEST Vancouver's Hilary Black founded the Compassion Club in East Vancouver to supply ill people with medicinal marijuana. !t helps ease side effects of chemotherapy. Friday, May 21. 1999 ~ North Shore News - 3 Pot was bound for club From paste 1 ho. He was getting in the was so Phad ne chone but te hand cuff hin” Richardson was handcutted and put inte a police car, The trunk was not locked. Inside the trunk, Lo tound L] scaled oven bays containing sealed plastic bays full of man- juana. There were about 10 smaller bays in said: Tao. All of the ma has since been destroved. A brown knapsack contain- ing $6,006 cash and a serap piece of paper with weights and dollar amounts were also in the trunk. Richardson had a tin in his pocket containing hash oil. Lo had owo years’ expen- ence as a West) Vancouver Police officer at the time. He was conducting the roadblock with another junior officer, West Vancouver Police Const. Susan Chalmers. Chalmers had worked for the police department tor 14 months at the time of the inci- dent. Richardson’s lawyer John Conroy questioned Lo about the reasons the officer had to search the trunk, The detence lawyer took issue with whether the officer should have secured a search warrant and questioned the length of time it took bete Richardson was informed o: Charter rights. Conroy argued that Lo “fla- grantly violated the accused's nights” by not getting a search NEWS photo Julie Iverson because we are in potentially a high-risk situation,” said Black. The Compassion Club marijuana is sold for less than street-level prices. Black notes that she and five others operate the cannabis distribution of the Compassion Club. Black notes that they all get $10 an hour tor their work and “pay taxes.” “Lam sure we have beer: under a fair amount of surveillance. They (police) must know we are very strict, very bureaucratic, very careful and very thorough,” said Black. oy She said that a person can’t just walk off the street and buy marijuana. Potential new members need a doctors’ “prescription,” an appointment and must take part in an “intake session.” The Compassion Club operates an alternative wellness centre as well which includes herbalists, a nutritionist and counsellors. “We are trying to encourage people to use cannabis holistically,” said Black. North Vancouver RCMP Const. Shane Tuckey, of the drug section, points out the Compassion Club marijuana is unregulated and illegal. Tuckey v. onders who decides and ensures proper marijuana dosages and how potential abuse is controlle Kevin Gillies Tuckey said that some medical people frown on marijuana use because of its delivery system. Smoking marijuana harms the lungs and ts a concern with pneu- monia prone people with illn uch as AIDs. But Tuckey, a 20-year police veteran, said police across Canada and especial- ly in B.C, have a high tolerance for simple possession of marijuana particularly when dealing with people using it for sickness. “If E take a joint away from somebody who is dying of leukemia, how bad is that going to look in court? We would never proceed with that kind of charge,” said Tuckey. Tuckey said drug enforcement reso’ with major cocaine and heroin trafficke operations linked to organized crime. Tuckey noted that last year North Vancouver RCMP did not recommend charges involving about 200 drug seizures of relatively small amounts. Police call such investigations “ no-case .” ; “A lot of kids out there are just waiting to say, ‘Look it’s a medicine and it legal’ and then they are going to try it,” said Tuckey. He warned that decrimi- nalizing marijuana will result in more pot smoking by teenagers. es are stretched to the limit in dealing along with the many hydroponic-grow “I’m in my 22nd warrant in contravention of the Controlled — Drug and Substances Act (CDSA). Crown lawyer Jay Straith said that, contrary to the defence lawyer’s argument, Lo had reasonabie and probable grounds to search the trunk without a search warrant. Straith said that, from the out- set, the incident was a drug investigation. Compassion Ciub founder Hilary Black would nor discuss Richardson’s case except to say that “the cannabis in question was destined —_ for Compassion Club.” year as mayor and I had three years as an News Reporter IT’S still too early for the North Shore’s only octogenarian mayor to say what his future holds. North Vancouver City Mayor Jack Loucks will spend the Victoria Day long weekend, and his 81st birthday, relaxing at his lakeside trailer trying not to think about municipal politics. But, as with any election year, speculation thar Loucks will retire is rampant among political circles. “] haven’: made any final decision.” Loucks said Thursday, adding it’s too early to say, November municipal clections will decide North Shore may- ors, councillors and school board trustees. “[ have two choices and [ have to make it but ?’m not mak- ing it today,” he said.“I have been sort of looking at both sides ofit but P?’'m not prepared to make any final decision on it today or tomorrow. “I’m not going to make any announcements as to what I'm going to do, for another month or so anyway,” he said. At least two city councillors are rumoured to be interested in running for the mayor’s post, though none could confirm that to press deadline. Meanwhile North Vancouver school board chairman Doug MacKay-Dunn isn’t shy about declaring his intention to run for North Vancouver District counc “No, I’m not going to run for mayor,” he said when asked MAYOR Jack Loucks . BOUG MacKay-Dunn will be 81 on Sunday. to run for district council. if he was interested in the chair. But he said, “The council thing, I think, is 100%. “Pil probably go with a bunch of individuals. Hopefully we're going to get some changes made if that happens.” MacKay-Dunn wouldn’r speculate on who might cun with him but he said he has a couple of people interested. The speculation surrounding Loucks’ retirement is nothing new to the veteran politician, who has served as city mayor for nine consecutive terms. “he has been acclaimed for s alderman,” Loucks said. , : John E. Loucks was first elected alderman in 1970-71, th ran again in 1976 tor a one-year term. He’s been in city poli ever since. Loucks said that he was encouraged in 1978 by then-North Vancouver City mayor Tom Reid to run for the mayor's chair. While Loucks has been challenged in the last nwo elections,: ‘of his nine mayoral terms. He originally ran on the issue of the Fullerton Fill develop- ment. The Fullerton Fill first became a development issue in the early ’70s but it took until this vear before a development for the waterfront site was officially approved. Now that the area is finally being developed, Loucks joked that he has lost a major campaign platform. hat’s one of the things Pve campaigned on many tin It’s kind of a joy to see them starting to develop it.” His other issuc from the early days was the Low Level road. “We need a truck route down by the waterfront,” he said, adding that more work needed to be done on that front. Overall he considers himself fortunate. “T think P've been lucky. “I've been serving with a lot of very fine councillors and they’ve made the job pleasurable. “We don’t always vote the same way,” he said, but Loucks added that council has always been able to move on after deci- sions are reached. cme nen er A = se te