Wheelchair-bound double-amputee Marilyn Holsten is clearing the air in her pot-puffing fight with her landlord.

Holsten, who faces eviction at the end of the month because she smokes marijuana inside her East Vancouver suite, was yesterday given a vapourizer by pot activist Marc Emery and his wife, Jodie. Emery and his wife dropped the $750 German-made Volcano Vaporizer off at Holsten’s suite on East 8th Avenue and she wasted no time in putting it to use.

Besides the donated vapourizer, Holsten was also given a baggie of Blueberry Island Sweet Skunk, a marijuana variant prized by pot puffers.

After a quick instructional session on using the high-end machine, Holsten took a few tokes and sang praise of the machine that allows her to get stoned while eliminating smoke.

“Wow is this ever nice, it doesn’t burn your throat,” said Holsten, 49, who uses marijuana to help with the unbearable pain she gets in the stumps of her legs. Holsten is a diabetic and has lived for more than eight years in a building run by the nonprofit Anavets Seniors Citizens Housing Society.

After pot smoke was detected coming from her suite, she was given an eviction notice in April 2008. In order to stay, she was forced to sign a document promising to light up outdoors only. Then last month Holsten was given a final eviction notice after management said the smell of pot was noticed in public areas of the building.

Despite having a doctor’s note saying she needs to smoke marijuana to ease her pain, the landlord told her to find another place. Emery, who faces possible extradition to the U.S. on drug charges next month, said he is hearing of cases similar to Holsten’s. “We know of many people who are using medical marijuana who are running into problems with their landlords,” he said.

Holsten has appealed her eviction and has a hearing June 9 with the Residential Tenancy Branch. [email protected]

– Article The Province.