Article by Jacquie Miller, Ottawa Citizen
Kristina Simpson says she feels lucky to have landed a job at a Bank Street store where the staff feel like family and customers are grateful for the products she sells.
But when she steps behind the counter at Weeds Glass & Gifts each morning, she brushes aside a nagging fear: Will this be the day police arrive to arrest her for drug trafficking?
It’s an occupational hazard for employees at the city’s 17 illegal marijuana dispensaries.
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Why does she take the risk?
Because medical marijuana saved her life, and she wants to help others benefit from it too, said Simpson. She has a gentle manner and was open about her health struggles.
She has suffered from severe anxiety and depression since she was a child, but the crisis didn’t hit until she was in college. She was stressed out, studying, working on the side, drinking too much, and wondering why she felt sad all the time.