Justice: Expired Licences

MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROTEST AT COURTHOUSE

About 20 people gathered out-side the Simcoe St. courthouse Thursday
to support a medical marijuana user charged because he's still
waiting for Health Canada to renew his licence.

Several said they could just as easily end up in court because
they're in the same situation.

Carrying signs such as "marijuana is medicine" and "Cops + Health
Canada -Partners in Crime," the protesters said people with expired
licences shouldn't be considered criminals because it's not their
fault Health Canada is taking a long time to renew their cards.

They also said they want to erase the stigma associated with medical marijuana.

Vycki Fleming, a patient advocate and medical marijuana user,
organized the protest. Her card has expired, but she says she applied
well before the eight-week recommended time frame.

"I just felt adamant that sick people shouldn't be arrested. Even if
people in Peterborough don't agree with medical marijuana in any way,
they certainly, I'm sure, would not agree with the waste of our tax
dollars," Fleming said.

"We're wasting court time that could be used for really serious offenders."

"If my driver's licence expires I can walk into any MTO (Ministry of
Transportation) office and pay my whatever fines or fees and be given
a temporary permit on the spot," Fleming said.

Les Petherick, 46, was charged with production of a controlled
substance and possession of a controlled substance on Sept. 1.
Petherick's medical marijuana card expired in May and he's still
waiting for it to be renewed.

Thomas Reilly, 58, who rents a room in the same building, was charged
with possession of a controlled substance. He said he's a victim of
circumstance because he's not a medical marijuana user.

Both men made their first court appearances Thursday.

Petherick said Health Canada told him he would be fine if he just
held onto his expired card.

Medical marijuana licences have to be renewed annually.

Trent University student Jennie Coxwell said she uses medical
marijuana to ease the pain of Crohn's disease. Her card expired in
June, but it has been six months since she re-applied.

"If they want to arrest me, there's no way I'm going to be in pain
for six months every single second of the day. I can't do that," said
Coxwell, who already has a drug and alcohol counselling diploma from
Fleming College and a social services worker diploma from Loyalist College.

She said she worked as an addictions counsellor for two years.

Health Canada recently told The Examiner, in an email, that it
strives to process applications within eight to 10 weeks, but admits
there've been delays due to a "sharp increase" in new applications.

Petherick and Reilly return to court Oct. 13.

NOTE: Les Petherick is also charged with setting a trap likely to
cause bodily harm. He told The Examiner last week that the charge is
ludicrous and a carpenter had recently been doing work at the house
and was testing a malfunctioning nail gun.... Jennie Coxwell is
organizing a rally for Oct. 1 in front of Peterborough MP Dean Del
Mastro's office to protest bill S-10, which includes mandatory
minimum sentences for all drugs. More money should be spent on
programs to help people rather than jail people, she said.