In the video, plainclothes officers chase a patron into a storefront doorway.

One man is pushed face-first to the ground and handcuffed. Another patron is knocked down as two officers rush past. Some carry nightclubs. One officer appears to slap a patron twice on the head.

The images could be out of a late-night cop show.

But the video shows the March 31 raid of the headquarters of CALM, or Cannabis As Living Medicine, at 106 Queen St. E. The compassion club, which sells medical marijuana to patients suffering from chronic diseases, posted the video on YouTube after piecing together footage from security cameras.

Police have not yet commented on the raid.

But the images provide an example of what can happen in the legal grey zone in which compassion clubs operate in Canada.

“Until recently, it seemed like authorities were looking the other way,” said Dr. Chris Cavacuiti, a family physician at St. Michael’s Hospital. “Nobody was really sure where it stood.”

According to Neev Tapiero, CALM’s owner, this is the first time police have raided the club since it opened in 1996.

Compassion clubs across Canada sporadically face police scrutiny. In February, the Qikiqtani Compassion Club in Iqaluit was shut down by police. Owner Ed DeVries plans to defend his possession charges by mounting a constitutional challenge. He claims people in Nunavut who could benefit from medical marijuana are having their rights violated because the medical community will not provide the legal documentation required by Health Canada.

Health Canada granted access to medical marijuana in July 2001. The Marihuana Medical Access Regulations define the conditions for which an individual is permitted to use, possess or produce medical marijuana.

Palliative care patients, patients with specific symptoms and medical conditions or patients for whom conventional treatment has failed can apply to possess medical marijuana from Health Canada. Conditions and symptoms the agency lists include: severe pain and/or muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury or spinal cord disease, and severe pain, weight loss and nausea from cancer or HIV/AIDS infection.

According to Health Canada, “applicants must provide a declaration from a medical practitioner to support their application.”

However, physicians are largely uncomfortable in this gatekeeper roll.

The Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA), which provides legal defence and liability protection to physicians, recommends that doctors ask a patient to sign a “release from liability form” before completing Health Canada’s application.

Physicians are required to submit the daily amount, form and route of administration of marijuana the “applicant intends to use,” according to the CMPA. Applicants for Health Canada-approved marijuana must also declare they have discussed the risks with the physician who signs the form.

Cavacuiti said physicians are generally uncomfortable with Health Canada’s required forms.

“It’s being used as a medication and Health Canada is asking physicians to state that this medication can be safely used in this individual patient,” said Cavacuiti.

“I think many doctors have some concerns about that because it hasn’t gone the same rigorous clinical trial evaluation that most medications are forced to before they become approved as prescribable medications.”

According to Health Canada, as of June 2009, 4,029 people were allowed to possess dried marijuana and 2,841 were allowed to cultivate or produce marijuana for medical purposes.

In Ontario, 1,631 people have been authorized by Health Canada to possess medical marijuana and 801 physicians supported Health Canada’s application for medical marijuana.

Cavacuiti said physicians are more likely to suggest patients get medical marijuana from compassion clubs, such as CALM, which only ask physicians to list a patient’s diagnosis.

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“I think there is generally a higher level of comfort in the physician community with providing a list of diagnoses a patient has and confirming the diagnoses with organizations like CALM,” Cavacuiti said.

CALM’s lawyer Ron Marzel said the compassion club is lobbying for clearance from Health Canada to sell medical marijuana. Nine people, including CALM’s owner, face drug charges following the raid.

The compassion club has about 3,000 registered members. About 10 per cent have federally issued cards permitting them to possess medical marijuana, while the rest have written approval from a doctor, chiropractor or naturopath.