Dear editor,it seems to me that the general public is uninformed about how a compassion club operates.Every club member has to be sick, be in pain, and has to have a doctor's note. The compassion club does not sell and will not sell to non-members or to youngsters.Most club members prefer a cleaner, non-chemical medicine and the club can provide that. Some members have severe reactions to pharmaceuticals and, having no other choice, come to compassion clubs.Every time a member buys medicine, they are at risk for arrest. The members who dispense the medicine are at risk for arrest and they do get arrested. People who have never been in trouble with the law get arrested for helping people who are in pain, and lots of pain.  Something's wrong with this picture.Health Canada provides medical marijuana to those with an MMAR (a licence from Health Canada to purchase medical marijuana from Health Canada or an approved grower), Health Canada even grows their own.They allow people to apply for an MMAR but they don't come with doctors who will sign the applicant's MMAR papers. For this reason we use the compassion club for our meds as we wait patiently trying to find a doctor to sign our papers for us so that  we can legally purchase medical mary.  I have been a member of the North Island Compassion Club for about 10 years now. Without the help of Noreen Evers, the founder of the  NICC, and the compassion club, I would not be here today.The club does more than just sell medicine; it offers support, a place to go for warmth, comfort and companionship. In your darkest days, they are always there with inspiration and guidance.It also reminds me that two of our members have been arrested and it is possible that they could go to prison for five years. If we can't do anything to help them, we can thank them for doing what they believe is the right thing to do.I am truly sorry that it has come to this. A lot of the members are afraid to go to the club and who can blame them?Thank you, Bill. Thank you, Ernie. We are here to stay.Dolly Smith,CumberlandEditor's note: Bill Myers and Ernie Yacub are the two people who were arrested by the RCMP after they searched the Courtenay headquarters of the North Island Compassion Club.