Editor: After reading Superintendent Derek Cooke’s submission to The Times (Aug. 23), headlined “Many problems with Langley dispensary,” I felt compelled to write and dispel some of the misconceptions contained in his letter.
When the Langley Medical Marijauna Dispensary (LMMD) opened two years ago, it employed some admittedly questionable operating practices. However in the past year, the dispensary has evolved into a safe and convenient place for patients to receive their dosage.
In his letter, Supt. Cooke says “There was no requirement that conventional treatment for the customer’s ailment had been tried, or even considered.”
This is misleading, as it is not a Health Canada requirement and normally doctors always do recommend conventional treatments prior to suggesting alternatives, such as marijuana.
Supt. Cooke suggested in his letter that the dispensary was serving anyone and not limiting its sales to people with a genuine medical need. This is not true. Patients who utilized the dispensary had forms signed by their doctors to support their use of medical marijuana. If paperwork from their doctor supporting their medical exemption was not completed, their membership was suspended.
In addition, many of Langley MMD clients have their Health Canada MMAR (Medical Marijauna Access Regulations) license number and are authorized to grow their own supply, but used the dispensary as an alternative.
I find it ironic that in his letter, the superintendent suggested that people who have a license should grow their own supply, when in March of this year he denounced legal ‘grows’ as a real headache for local RCMP.
“There have been several invasions and armed robberies of these legal marijuana farms over the past year,” he said.
Supt. Cooke expressed concern that “customers’ were not screened for having a criminal record. This implies that the patients utilizing the dispensary may have been, for the most part, criminals. A criminal records check is not a requirement by Health Canada, nor should it be.
However, as a result of the closure, Langley MMD patients are again forced to make connections with those (criminals?) who would put their health and safety at risk.
In so many ways, Langley has stepped up to make the community a safe and secure place to live, work and play — until now. Patients of the Langley Medical Marijuana Dispensary are members of this community and they are entitled to feel safe and secure. And it is up to Supt. Cooke and the local RCMP to uphold Supreme Court of Canada rulings that allow dispensaries to operate.
Delila Poore,
Langley
