cannabisnews.com: Medicinal Marijuana Teahouse Shuttered Medicinal Marijuana Teahouse Shuttered Posted by FoM on January 25, 2002 at 08:17:30 PT By Robert Matas Source: Globe and Mail A marijuana teahouse designed to take advantage of new federal regulations for medicinal marijuana use has been closed down, two months after its grand opening.Police padlocked the doors last weekend and arrested two people involved in running the teahouse, Detective Scott Driemel, spokesman for the Vancouver police department, said yesterday. Michael Maniotis, one of the teahouse organizers arrested, said the raid followed a dispute with the landlord, which he believes led to complaints to the police. However, police say they were enforcing the law and the raid was unrelated to any landlord-tenant dispute.The teahouse was located in the former coffee shop of a low-income residential hotel in Vancouver's drug-infested Downtown Eastside. It had been promoted as a place to connect medicinal marijuana users certified by Health Canada with designated growers.Teahouse promoters have previously said marijuana would not be sold on the premises. Users with a federal licence were expected to bring their own marijuana to the teahouse, where they could take their drug, listen to music and socialize.However, its critics say those behind the teahouse have been using the federal rules as a cover for trafficking in marijuana.Under new rules, people who are expected to die within 12 months or have a severe illness can receive authorization from the federal government to possess marijuana. They can also grow it or have someone grow it for them.Health Canada has approved medicinal marijuana for about 700 people, Andrew Swift, a Health Canada spokesman, said yesterday. Also, 80 people have been licensed to produce marijuana for those authorized to use it.Det. Driemel said undercover police officers had bought marijuana at the teahouse on two occasions prior to the raid.When police arrived at the teahouse, they found about 30 people, including two 16-year-olds. Police found packages of marijuana seeds for sale and a quantity of marijuana, as well as equipment that could be used to set up a marijuana-growing operation, Det. Driemel said.Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)Author: Robert MatasPublished: Friday, January 25, 2002 – Print Edition, Page A5Copyright: 2002 The Globe and Mail CompanyContact: letters globeandmail.caWebsite: http://www.globeandmail.ca/Related Articles & Web Site:FTE's Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmHealth Canada 'Misleading' on Risks of Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11831.shtmlMarijuana `Teahouse' Opens Today in Vancouver http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11228.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Post Comment