Dear VCBC members,
The time has come for us to put out another call for letters of support. We need these letters for a new exemption application to Health Canada and to help us get rezoned by the City of Victoria. As opposed to last time when we gathered over 300 letters, this time we want to be very focused and only submit statements that specifically address the issues we need to get across.
Here are the types of points we want to include in the letters of support. These letters will be critical in our efforts to convince government officials about the benefits of our club over the legal federal medical cannabis program. They will also possibly be made public, with the exception of the person’s last name and address, on the Cannabis Digest or other social media.
First, we need letters explaining how and why the legal medical cannabis system has failed our patients, especially those that have recently joined the club. We need to hear from patients who cannot find doctors, or afford to pay one to sign their forms. We need to hear from patients that once had a doctor to sign their forms, but will not any longer.
Member’s stories of experiencing housing problems, difficulties getting a credit card or how they are not able to wait days after they get money to get medicine, are also needed. Recently joined members who could not afford enough medicine while purchasing from legal recreational stores can also provide useful evidence. It would be valuable for us to have documentation of patients who improved their health after gaining access to the club’s products after being unable to find suitable products in the legal system, at prices they can afford.
We also need letters of support from patients with a federal license to grow cannabis who are unable to make some of the products they require to help their medical needs.
Having a few letters of support from members that live close to the new location are critical as well. We expect to have many neighbours/members attending the public hearings but it is good to have the importance of community and accessibility addressed in these documents.
Some letters from patients with certain special needs would also be helpful, especially those needing extra assistance making a purchase. Patients unable to find appropriate high CBD/low THC products on the legal market would be useful, too.
Finally, we need to hear from patients who need high dosage edibles and suppositories to fight cancer and chronic pain.
If you feel that your story would be invaluable to our efforts but do not think that you can write well enough, then feel free to contact us. Alternatively, if you are an excellent writer with time to help prepare a story or two, please let me know.
Members have until the VCBC’s AGM on October 16 to send us their letter. At that time we will choose which ones we use for each application. Since the issues with each submission are somewhat different, we will likely use different letters for each one.
