Marc-Boris St-Maurice says the court is being tougher on him because of his previous drug-related convictions. (CBC)

Eleven of the 35 people arrested in a series of raids on compassion clubs in Montreal have had their bail conditions eased.

Twelve of the 35 made an appearance at the Montreal courthouse Friday morning in connection with charges of drug trafficking and conspiracy.

Under their initial bail conditions, the accused had been ordered not to communicate with each other, but that condition was revoked for 11 of the individuals who appeared in court Friday.

The sole exception was Marc-Boris St-Maurice, the co-ordinator of the Montreal Compassion Centre, located in the city's Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood.

St-Maurice, a founding member of the federal Marijuana Party and the provincial Bloc Pot party who also ran for city council last year, said he feels the court is being tougher on him because he has previous drug-related convictions.

Split between groups

St-Maurice and some of the other accused have also asked for their trials to be held separately from those involving members of the Culture 420 Club in the Lachine borough of Montreal.

Though people frequently confuse the different marijuana dispensaries in Montreal, St-Maurice said, the Plateau club does not want to be affiliated with the Lachine group in any way.

"When people think about a cannabis dispensary in Montreal, they think right away about our organization because we've been around and talking about the issue for about a decade," said St-Maurice.

"But we are not the ones that have had all the complaints. The complaints come from Lachine and from the mayor of Lachine."

A total of 35 people were arrested in raids that shut down five compassion clubs across Quebec in June.

The move followed much-publicized complaints from residents about the opening of the Culture 420 Club, which did not require its clients to present a medical prescription for the drug.

Canada offers only one strain of medical marijuana, and the only legal way to purchase it is through Health Canada.

St-Maurice to plead not guilty

St-Maurice said he intends to enter a not-guilty plea.

He said he is confident that he can beat the charges because he says a Quebec judge has already ruled that it is unconstitutional for the federal government to make medical marijuana legal but prevent people from accessing it.

Since the compassion clubs were shut down, St-Maurice said, many of his clients have been struggling.

He said he has encouraged them to ask their doctors to help them obtain a medical marijuana licence from the federal government.

However, he said, many doctors are reluctant to help.

The case is expected to return to court in early October.