October 1 marks the ten-year anniversary of The Montreal Compassion Centre, an institution that helps people cope with health problems through the use of medical marijuana.
Despite the controversial nature of their mission, the club's founders say they felt they were doing the right thing when they opened their doors to the public a decade ago.
"We both thought that the cause of human suffering, like human concrete pain, every day pain, was a big enough cause to take some risks," said co-founder Louis-Caroline Bergeron, adding that Montreal police warned them they were breaking the law.
Marc-Boris St-Maurice, the director of the centre, was arrested on a drug possession charge just months after it opened. He was later acquitted, and says there has since been a gradual shift in the attitude of the police and the government.
"Since then, we have a very good co-existence and operating here, that's just one accomplishment. We've also seen the arrival of medical marijuana access permits," St-Maurice said.
There are roughly 3,000 medical marijuana access permits across Canada, with just over 300 in Quebec.
The Montreal Compassion Centre admits selling to about 1,500 members - some of them daily.
"We require for membership a letter of diagnosis from a doctor, which we verify, whereas Health Canada requires a strict recommendation from the doctor," said St-Maurice.
"Doctors are reluctant to recommend because if the patient has a problem with the use of marijuana, the college of physicians will not do anything to help them with those legal problems so we take that risk for them," he added.
Charlie McKenzie, a member of the centre, said he wants to help make it easier for those who are in pain to have access to medical marijuana.
"Our next step for us is to go after the college of physicians and say, 'Exactly what is your criteria for acceptance of this product?'"
Following the relatively successful operation of the Montreal centre, a second outlet has opened in Quebec City.
