[420 Girl]

Nanaimo residents with chronic illnesses may get their own medical marijuana compassion club. Activist James Younger said he hopes to have the Mid-Island Compassion Society operating by as soon as Thursday.

"I'd like to provide medical marijuana to people in need of it," said Younger.

He has issued a statement claiming that cannabis is medicine, and part of the mandate is to ensure "strict safeguards against abuse." Younger said he has used pot for his work-related pain and assisted in growing it for a quadriplegic man in his home.

Younger said the police did raid the man's residence, but later returned the equipment they seized. He is thinking of people with AIDS, hepatitis, ALS, cancer and various other chronic conditions.

Younger said he has received good response thus far, and for the past several months has been consulting with compassion clubs in Vancouver and Victoria.

"I'm ready to go, I have a membership of three," he said. "I've had people offer me computers and telephone lines and others who've offered me an organic source ( for marijuana ).

The cost to join will be between $5 and $50, depending on what a person can afford, and though he has been looking for a storefront, Younger said a bicycle will likely be the centre of his business to deliver to customers.

"I was hoping to find a storefront, but I was told to use a bicycle, that way they don't impound your vehicle," he said.

Younger said he wants to do everything up front, and today is seeking to speak with Mayor Gary Korpan and the RCMP. Korpan said he will listen to Younger, but questioned the idea of medical marijuana.

"I'm not a doctor but it seems to me there are more than enough medicines out there that we don't need to be breaking more laws," said Korpan.

Younger maintains that people in Nanaimo who require medical marijuana don't have adequate access to it. The compassion club in Victoria, he said, will begin referring Nanaimo people to him if in several months his operation appears to be a success. No one, said Younger, will be able to join unless they have an authorization from a doctor.

But first he his seeking a declaration of non-profit status, and he will then seek to work with the city.

"I'm telling the city anyway, I want to open and accountable."

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