Pubdate: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 Source: Fort McMurray Today (CN AB) Copyright: 2001 Fort McMurray Today Contact: http://www.bowesnet.com/today/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1012 Author: Robert Ashcroft DOCTORS CONCERNED ABOUT LEGAL MARIJUANA Marijuana becomes a legal prescription drug this week despite concerns raised by medical communities across the country. In a letter to federal Health Minister Alan Rock, Dr. Clayne Steed, president of the Alberta Medical Association, said the regulations coming into effect Tuesday "place physicians in an untenable position." "I think that's an excellent piece of work," Dr. Al Nicholson, medical officer of health for the Northern Lights Health Authority, said of Steed's letter. "It outlines the problems very well." In the letter, Steed said the AMA finds the new regulations unacceptable because: * this method of treatment is not evidence-based and has not yet had any rigorous testing regarding long term implications; * there are no clinical practice guidelines in place for the medicinal use of marijuana including appropriate dosage; and * physicians have no way of knowing product potency or consistency. Steed advised doctors to think twice before filling out marijuana requisition forms for patients, especially filling out forms that come from any source other than Health Canada. "I just wish the federal government was as keen and eager about OKing things that have proper clinical studies," Nicholson said. "They should be approving other things a lot faster than they are marijuana." Nicholson said the federal government is moving with "unseemly haste without getting good clinical advice ahead of time." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth