Lee Goodwin organized Saturday's local 420 marijuana rally to increase awareness about the benefits of medical marijuana.

While he supports the legalization of marijuana across the board, he said in an interview today, he is particularly interested in assisting Yukoners who have a need but are unfamiliar with what's involved in obtaining a prescription for medicinal marijuana.

As a licensed user of medicinal marijuana, Goodwin says he understands how difficult it can be to go through the routine to get approval.

The 35-year-old Whitehorse resident said he had to seek the assistance of a B.C. doctor to obtain a prescription, after having no luck finding a local doctor who was willing.

Altogether, he said, it took him five years to get a prescription to help manage a couple of illnesses, including chronic back pain.

"That is an extremely long time to get a prescription that is going to benefit you immediately,” he said.

The Yukon Medical Marijuana Clinic and Dispensary created by Goodwin doesn't dispense marijuana, but it will offer assistance to those wanting to use medicinal marijuana.

Goodwin said he was approached by the 420 rally organization of Canada to see if he would be interested in organizing the local event.

"And I said ‘absolutely.'”

Approximately 40 people turned out for the rally at Rotary Peace Park, most of them being on the younger side of 30.

Goodwin said he and others did light up at the rally, which was relatively quiet.

The RCMP did not attend, he said.

"I was very grateful and appreciative that the RCMP were allowing this to happen of turning a blind eye,” he said. "It was a very peaceful event.”

Goodwin said he had just two weeks to organize the event but is already planning a much more visible rally for next year.

It's his hope, he said, to have a stage and a microphone to allow participants the opportunity to voice their views on the legalization of marijuana and the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

Goodwin said he plans to invite Mayor Dan Curtis, Yukon MP Ryan Leef and a representative of the RCMP to provide their views.

"I'd like to have a doctor come up and express their views about the benefits of medicinal marijuana,” he said.

Goodwin said there was one other person at Saturday's rally who is licensed for its use.

It would have been nice to have had more seniors and others who use marijuana for medical purposes, he said.

Ultimately, said Goodwin, he would like to see an approved growing facility in the Yukon.

It is both expensive and hit-and-miss relying on the Ontario facility, as it is not uncommon at all for a shipment of federally approved pot to go missing somewhere between Ontario and here, he said.

The federal government announced in December 2012 it was revamping its medical marijuana program to address a number of issues raised by law enforcement officials, fire chiefs across Canada and others.

Dr. Rao Tadepalli, president of the Yukon Medical Association, said last December doctors have a concern with the federal program for a number of reasons.

There is a lack of research establishing the benefits versus drawbacks of using marijuana for medicinal purposes, he said.

Tadepalli said medicinal marijuana should be subjected to the same rigors as the other approved drugs in Canada, but it's not.