The head of the Montreal Compassion Club, who faces marijuana-peddling charges, says he's the victim of confusing laws and lax competitors.
Marc-Boris St-Maurice met with members of the media in Montreal on Tuesday, one day before he is expected to appear at the Montreal courthouse to face drug possession and trafficking charges.
St-Maurice, the former leader of the Marijuana Party, was one of 35 people arrested when police raided five marijuana clubs in Montreal and Quebec City earlier this month.
Officers closed down the centres, which claimed sell marijuana to people who need it for medical purposes.
Canada offers only one strain of medical marijuana, and the only legal way to purchase it is through Health Canada.
The people who run the Montreal Compassion Club have made no secret that their service is not legal, but the non-profit centre has been tolerated by authorities for a decade, said St-Maurice.
Despite the fact that he said the federal government has "cut corners" with less than clear rules, St-Maurice said his organization has always been "rigourous and professional" in its distribution of the drug.
Lachine club less 'rigourous'
He blamed the recently opened dispensary for having muddled the legal landscape.
"We are not in any way associated nor connected ... to the people of Culture 420 in Lachine and we find it troubling that people have the impression that we are connected," St-Maurice said.
The people who run the Culture 420 club act as though the distribution of medical marijuana is legal, creating confusion for users, said St-Maurice.
"It worries us to see that there are many messages and it is not clear who to listen to, or who to believe," he said.
Last month, the City of Montreal said it had asked its legal department to investigate compassion clubs after officials said they had received complaints about the Culture 420 club.
An investigation by the French-language service of the CBC found it was easy to obtain marijuana at the club.
An undercover reporter told workers at Culture 420 he was suffering from migraines.
Staff told him he would be able to obtain the drug after making a declaration that he needed it for medical reasons before a commissioner of oaths. They then directed him to a commissioner of oaths who worked in a nearby building.
The Montreal Compassion Club only sells marijuana to patients with a doctor's prescription, said St-Maurice.
Raids left medical users with few sources
St-Maurice expressed concern about the effects of the June 3 raids, which forced the clubs to shut down.
People who use marijuana to treat medical conditions now don't have access to the drug, he said.
The absence of the clubs is also motivating other people to move in to fill the void, he said.
Though they may be well-intentioned, St-Maurice said he worries an increased number of small marijuana distributors will only exacerbate the problem of unregulated distribution in Montreal.
St-Maurice declined to discuss his legal strategy for his upcoming case.
He faces three charges including drug trafficking, possession with the intent to traffic and conspiracy to traffic.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: CBC News
Copyright: 2010 CBC
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
Marc-Boris St-Maurice met with members of the media in Montreal on Tuesday, one day before he is expected to appear at the Montreal courthouse to face drug possession and trafficking charges.
St-Maurice, the former leader of the Marijuana Party, was one of 35 people arrested when police raided five marijuana clubs in Montreal and Quebec City earlier this month.
Officers closed down the centres, which claimed sell marijuana to people who need it for medical purposes.
Canada offers only one strain of medical marijuana, and the only legal way to purchase it is through Health Canada.
The people who run the Montreal Compassion Club have made no secret that their service is not legal, but the non-profit centre has been tolerated by authorities for a decade, said St-Maurice.
Despite the fact that he said the federal government has "cut corners" with less than clear rules, St-Maurice said his organization has always been "rigourous and professional" in its distribution of the drug.
Lachine club less 'rigourous'
He blamed the recently opened dispensary for having muddled the legal landscape.
"We are not in any way associated nor connected ... to the people of Culture 420 in Lachine and we find it troubling that people have the impression that we are connected," St-Maurice said.
The people who run the Culture 420 club act as though the distribution of medical marijuana is legal, creating confusion for users, said St-Maurice.
"It worries us to see that there are many messages and it is not clear who to listen to, or who to believe," he said.
Last month, the City of Montreal said it had asked its legal department to investigate compassion clubs after officials said they had received complaints about the Culture 420 club.
An investigation by the French-language service of the CBC found it was easy to obtain marijuana at the club.
An undercover reporter told workers at Culture 420 he was suffering from migraines.
Staff told him he would be able to obtain the drug after making a declaration that he needed it for medical reasons before a commissioner of oaths. They then directed him to a commissioner of oaths who worked in a nearby building.
The Montreal Compassion Club only sells marijuana to patients with a doctor's prescription, said St-Maurice.
Raids left medical users with few sources
St-Maurice expressed concern about the effects of the June 3 raids, which forced the clubs to shut down.
People who use marijuana to treat medical conditions now don't have access to the drug, he said.
The absence of the clubs is also motivating other people to move in to fill the void, he said.
Though they may be well-intentioned, St-Maurice said he worries an increased number of small marijuana distributors will only exacerbate the problem of unregulated distribution in Montreal.
St-Maurice declined to discuss his legal strategy for his upcoming case.
He faces three charges including drug trafficking, possession with the intent to traffic and conspiracy to traffic.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: CBC News
Copyright: 2010 CBC
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
