Bob Dillman uses medical marijuana and says he must wear a mask to keep out environmental toxins. Earlier this year, both he and his wife were charged with possession and production of cannabis.
“Let’s use some common sense and leave people like me alone,” Dillman said.
He says the police confiscated at least 18 plants and an undisclosed amount of cannabis the day of the raid.
This week, all charges were dropped. The Public Prosecution Service of Canada says: “The charges were withdrawn in this matter because the public interest was no longer best served by a prosecution.”
The reason for that decision was not released to the public.
Dillman is a former corrections officer and he says he’s angry about what police put him and his wife through. He says he is one of the 40,000 people in Canada who are authorized to possess medical marijuana.
“I have a legal right to have cannabis. I can’t use anything but cannabis for my pain,” Dillman said.
In 2013, about 26,000 people were approved to grow cannabis for their own use, or for someone else in their case. Health Canada then announced it was phasing out home-grown operations as of March 31, 2014.
Growers have launched a class-action lawsuit. A judge in British Columbia has issued an injunction, and for the time being anyone with a current license can continue to grow medical pot pending the outcome of that case.
Dillman says his renewal to grow marijuana was denied.
Debbie Stulz-Giffen, the chair of the Maritimers Unite for Medical Marijuana Society, says she can still grow her own supply for now.
“I think it’s horribly unfair that I'm still considered legal in the eyes of the law and there are 20,000 other Canadians who are left in the legally precarious situation," Stulz-Giffen said.
She says it’s about affordable and accessible care, and buying from a licensed dealer is more expensive.
The case is still making its way through the court in British Columbia, and could impact all home growers in Canada.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Marie Adsett
