DRUG LAWS NEED CHANGES; ACTIVIST

The first thing Tamara Cartwright wants everyone to know about her is
she's definitely not a drug dealer.

Earlier this month, Cartwright was given a conditional sentence after
she pleaded guilty to trafficking in a controlled substance. The
charge stemmed from an April 15 incident when Cartwright attempted to
mail four grams of marijuana from a Taber postal outlet.

Despite the difficulties the case presented to the crown prosecutor,
who stated in court the accused possessed a medical-marijuana
exemption, the case was still brought to court and eventually led to
Cartwright being sentenced.

"I took the conditional sentence," she said. "I just wanted it to be
over."

Cartwright added she did not have the means to hire a lawyer and did
not wish to waste taxpayers' money by drawing out the case and
fighting it out to the end.

"In my mind, I'm not guilty. I still don't think I did anything wrong,
but I know in the eyes of the law what I did was illegal."

What she did, according to Cartwright, was try and send a small amount
of marijuana to another medical-marijuana user in Canada. She added
that type of compassion marijuana sharing happens all the time in
Canada, as it is sometimes the only way for medical-marijuana users to
get the substance.

"We're giving it away," she said, and added no money was to change
hands in this case, as she never paid for any marijuana which has been
mailed to her in the past by the same compassion circle. "We want to
spread the word that it's a beneficial plant... It's doing so many
beneficial things. They (the government and medical community) should
really look at it further."

To say Cartwright is using activism to spread that message, may be a
bit of an understatement. She took part in the Global Marijuana March
in May in Lethbridge and was part of the first provincial pot protest
back in 2007 in the city. Cartwright has traveled to Ottawa to plead
her case, and is involved in myriad groups to help prove her point.
Lobby groups on her resume include the Southern Alberta Cannabis Club
(which she is the president of), the Law Enforcement Against
Prohibition, www.whyprohibition.ca, Educators for Sensible Drug
Policies and Moms for Marijuana.

"The goal is to end prohibition. We want to see the drug legalized so
we can take them off the streets and away from our kids. If our
government doesn't see that, we are lost."

Cartwright pointed to countries which have taken steps to legalize
small amounts of marijuana, and cited studies in Portugal, which
stated that country's crime rate dropped 45 per cent after a change in
marijuana laws was passed. She added small drug charges also tie up
our legal system, and cost countless dollars to prosecute each and
every year. On top of that, she added a government-regulated drug
trade could benefit many in Canada.

"Think of what it could generate for taxes," she said, and added money
currently going into the pockets of drug dealers could instead be
heading into government coffers, to aid programs to seniors and help
Alberta's schools, for example. "In reality, the only way to solve
this problem is to end the drug war."

With a shrinking middle class in North America, and a widening gap
between the haves and have-nots, Cartwright said entering the illegal
drug trade can be a strong temptation for youth. When options exist
between a young person selling drugs, "and having a fancy BMW," or
struggling through college, driving a beat-up old car and emerging
with tens of thousands of dollars in debt, she said many make the
wrong, easier decision.

For Cartwright, the decision to use marijuana comes by necessity, she
said. She lives with chronic colitis, and is one of more than 6,000
Canadians licensed to use medical-grade marijuana. The drug also aids
her attention-deficit disorder and post-traumatic-stress syndrome she
suffered at the hands of her ex-husband.

"In every way possible it diverts my pain. It takes the inflammation
out of my colon so I don't have cramps every day, and with my
attention-deficit disorder, it helps me focus. I don't get stoned -- I
don't get that feeling -- it just eases my pain. It makes it so I can
go about my day without pain."

Through her government-approved production licence, Cartwright is able
to produce 34 plants in her home, and can possess up to 240 grams of
marijuana at any given time. Despite her production licence, she added
it can be difficult to produce enough to meet her needs, and lately
she has been short of the substance.

"What I've been doing is suffering," she said, and added her recent
conviction has stopped friends of hers from helping her out. "My
friends won't send me anything. It will deter us from helping anyone
else again."

It's a lot of work to grow marijuana, she said, and added the legal
operation also requires a complete list of security protocols at her
home, such as a camera and alarm system.

"It takes four months for a full production."

Marijuana dispensaries in Canada do exist, and Cartwright has used the
services of one in Toronto, but added they are under increased
scrutiny as well, as a dispensary in Langley, B.C. was recently raided
and busted, she said.

It all adds up to an interesting situation in this country, where
people can be cleared to use medical marijuana, but then find it very
difficult to get. She added Health Canada also supplies the substance,
but added only one strain is grown, which she said is of low quality.

"I would say it is inadequate for 99.9 per cent of us. In reality,
Health Canada should not be doing it for us. It should be done by
people who know what they are doing."

As it stands now, she added Canadians who require medical marijuana
often have to resort to mailing it to each other or buying it
illegally on the streets. With that in mind, she said the system has
to change.

"Somebody has to stand up and do this and prove we have a right to do
this."