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Letter to Office of Cannabis Medical Access
By Ted | January 17, 2003
Addressed Respectfully to: Ms. Cindy Cripps-Prawak
Recently, court decisions appear to be pressuring Health
Canada to legally license organizations providing cannabis
to citizens afflicted with terminal, life threatening or
incurable medical conditions. Having started the first
medical cannabis organization in the country in January
of 1996, the Cannabis Buyers’ Clubs of Canada (CBC of C),
we believe that the umbrella non-profit organization,
the International Hempology 101 Society, should be formally
granted a legal permit to perform in this capacity.
During the past 7 years the International Hempology 101
Society has helped form and nurture a coalition of individuals
who assist people with incurable, physical medical problems -
calling themselves the Cannabis Buyers Clubs of Canada. For the
first 5 years the club quietly operated in a residential
setting. An unrelated incident, in March 2001, brought police
to the CBC of C, then in an apartment, where founder Leon
“Ted” Smith was urged to get a commercial space for the medical
club. Since April 1, 2001, the club has worked out of a
storefront location in downtown Victoria, providing assistance
to over 1,200 people with incurable physician diagnosed
medical problems. That number includes a few dozen that work
through new clubs in Parksville, BC. and Halifax, NS. which
the CBC of C in Victoria guided in the past few years.
Through our activities we have learned about the wide variety
of potential medical benefits that people with incurable
medical problems can receive from eating and smoking quality
cannabis medicine. The International Hempology 101 Society
and the CBC of C look forward to continuing to expand upon
its knowledge and expertise as cannabis gains greater
acceptance as medicine.
The CBC of C is currently creating an operations manual, which
will help enhance the operations of the three existing
networks. This procedural guide will provide new clubs with
a working document to establish and maintain medical cannabis
access given the changing legal status of cannabis.
Furthermore, we believe it would be reasonable that the
International Hempology 101 Society be granted a permit to
operate. The CBC of C’s seven years of experience as medical
cannabis providers makes it uniquely qualified to assist in
this field. In addition, it would also be practical to issue
special permits to individuals and groups to grow cannabis for
clubs like the CBC of C.
The City Council of Victoria has expressed interest in working
with Health Canada to develop a licensing process for groups
such as the International Hempology 101 Society. Victoria Mayor
Alan Lowe has invited the Office of Canadian Medical Access to
explain the current legal status of cannabis to Victoria’s
City Government.
We look forward to your response to our request for a special
permit to operate and distribute cannabis to people with
terminal and incurable medical conditions.
(signed)
- Marie Christofferson
- Ryan Bushby
- Lee Morrison
- Tyler MacDonald
- Ryan Schakohl
- Odin Lake
- Christian Bell
- Jim Davy
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