[420 Girl]

David Casteels wants tougher marijuana laws - an unusual request for someone who smokes five to 10 joints a day.

However, it's not the user that Mr. Casteels wants the courts to pursue. He wants new charges created for those who steal from medically exempt marijuana growers.

Mr. Casteels holds a federal exemption to grow and use marijuana to treat arthritis and chronic pain. On Wednesday, Feb. 25, thieves stole 15 mature marijuana plants from Mr. Casteels' home.

"They just totally cleaned it right out. I have to start all over," Mr. Casteels said. "There was dirt all over my house. They just trashed everything."

Thieves stole 10 to 15 ounces of marijuana and $2,700 of dirt bike equipment. Mr. Casteels said the marijuana is worth about $3,000 on the street.

Earlier Wednesday morning, Mr. Casteels had installed security cameras in his greenhouse and captured a photo of the theft in progress. Northumberland OPP arrested and charged an 18-year-old Quinte West man with two counts of break and enter.

"This is the first case where an exemptee has caught the ( suspects ) doing it. I want it to go to court," Mr. Casteels said. "If an example was set with these punks in court, everybody around would see."

The OPP investigation into the break-in continues. Const. Chris Dewsbury said the thieves must be caught with the marijuana to be charged with theft and possession.

"Our street crime unit is working on it," he said.

Const. Dewsbury added that the theft of medical marijuana in an uncommon occurrence, a claim with which Mr. Casteels disagrees. He said he knows of other medical marijuana growers in the area have been robbed of their medication.

"It's become the nature of the business," Mr. Casteels said. "We want to be welcomed back into society, not treated like some doper."

Mr. Casteels said other methods of obtaining marijuana are unrealistic. Federally provided pot has nearly two per cent THC - the medicinal chemical in marijuana. Mr. Casteels said his crop has more than 20 per cent THC.

"It's like comparing baby Aspirin to Percocet," he said.

Growing his own marijuana is the only legal method Mr. Casteels has to obtain his medication.

"We're not playing games. We're not growing pot and selling it," Mr. Casteels said. "This is a medication."


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