Medical marijuana license holders frustrated over crack-down of 'compassion associations'
By: Andrea Macpherson, News1130.com (all news radio, online), 03-19-09

VANCOUVER (NEW1130) - Medical marijuana license holders say they are frustrated over the crack-down of local "compassion associations", which police have dubbed as dial-a-dope operations. One man says as long as pot is illegal for recreational users, he will continue to suffer.

Russell Barth suffers from fibromyalgia and his wife suffers from seizures, He says most of the time they have to go the illegal route to get the marijuana they say they need to control their symptoms. "People think, 'oh you have a license...your problems are solved!' It's not like that at all. I have to often go sometimes days or even weeks without medicine at all. In our medical situation and our financial situation we only have access to certain amounts of medicine each month. She gets what she needs but sometimes I don't get anything...and as long as pot is illegal this is going to be the problem."

Barth says there needs to be a better way because he often feels like a criminal. "I have to carry around special papers with me to keep me out of jail because I have a medical condition. This is medical segregation in Canada, in 2009, it is absolutely unacceptable and it needs to stop immediately."

Earlier this week, North Vancouver RCMP announced they had busted a dial-a-dope operation and charges were laid against 12 people from Vancouver and White Rock.

© 2004 H.U.M.A.N.: Hemp Users Medical Access Network - Toronto Medical Marijuana