Pubdate: Mon, 22 Apr 2002
Source: Burlington Post (CN ON)
Copyright: 2002 Burlington Post
Contact:  http://www.burlingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1528
Author: Robb Swybrous
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

MS SUFFERER ACCUSES OTTAWA OF DRAGGING ITS HEELS

Already fighting a battle with multiple sclerosis, Alison Myrden says she's 
tired of having to battle Health Canada, too.

The Burlington resident, and federal medical marijuana exemptee, says the 
government is dragging its heels when it comes to producing a reliable, 
affordable source of marijuana for chronic pain sufferers. Since 1999, 
almost 700 Canadians have been given exemptions to possess medical marijuana.

"I am still buying my medicine from the street; I am still spending up to 
$1,200 every month," she said. "Nothing has changed, the government still 
doesn't have a source for me."

Myrden, 38, was diagnosed with MS in 1992, but says she has suffered from 
its symptoms since she was a teenager.

Myrden says because of the disease she has a debilitating pain in her face; 
pain that used to mean taking 32 prescription pills and 600 milligrams of 
morphine each day. Now she smokes a few grams of marijuana instead of the 
pills to relieve the symptoms. It's become a way of life for her.

"The pain in my face is so excruciating that if I don't catch it in time 
with marijuana, no pills will work," she said. "It's not just about smoking 
pot, it's about quality of life."

For its part, Health Canada has been moving, however slowly, to create a 
environment where patients like Myrden will be able to access medicinal 
marijuana.

Following years of lobbying, the federal government, in 1999 under Health 
Minister Allan Rock, set out guidelines for exempting people like Myrden 
from the criminal charges associated with possession of marijuana. Last 
July, Health Canada subsequently set out medical marijuana access 
regulations that included application processes for three groups of 
potential exemptees.

Group 1 is for people who suffer from life-threatening diseases and have a 
life expectancy of fewer than 12 months. Group 2 consists of people 
suffering from chronic illnesses like AIDS, cancer and MS. Group 3 is a 
catch-all category for people suffering chronic pain from diseases not 
named in the first two groups.

The government also contracted a private, Saskatchewan-based company called 
Prairie Plant Systems to grow a government supply of marijuana in an 
abandoned mine in Flin Flon, Man.

Myrden says she's happy to at least have her exemption but is anxious to 
know exactly when the government is going to come through with a steady, 
safe and effective supply of pot.

"I haven't had one call from Health Canada offering medicine from Flin 
Flon," she said.

But Andrew Swift, a spokesperson for Health Canada, says Myrden isn't the 
only one who hasn't been contacted about the government's pot supply. He 
says no one has because neither the marijuana, nor the distribution system 
to administer it, is available yet.

"We are working with Prairie to develop the manufacturing and processing 
requirements," Swift said. "Our expectation is this will take some time and 
the timeline is not arbitrary, it's based on a scientific process."

According to Swift, the government eliminated a major barrier for medicinal 
marijuana by creating the exemptions and continues to work quickly to ready 
its supply of medical pot. But since marijuana has never been used as a 
prescription drug in this country, ironing out the logistics is 
time-consuming. And, adds Swift, once the pot is ready, Health Canada is 
going to want to maintain contact with users for study purposes.

"The marijuana will be used for research purposes," Swift said. "We've done 
funding into research into the effectiveness of medical marijuana. At this 
point really it's all anecdotal. There's no real science behind the 
effectiveness of marijuana."

Myrden says she doesn't need a study to realize the effectiveness of using 
pot as medicine and there's no need for any further studies for people like 
her once the federal pot supply is made available.

"That's how we got our exemptions in the first place; because we are really 
sick." she said. "I cannot go without it."

Too bad, says Swift. Medical marijuana users will be subject to Health 
Canada monitoring.

Adding to the stress associated with waiting for her drugs, says Myrden, is 
the worry that federally-supplied medicinal marijuana might not be potent 
enough to ease her pain.

After smoking a certain type of marijuana for years, Myrden has become what 
users call strain specific and is worried the government's pot won't 
contain a high enough concentration of THC to make her pain go away. (THC 
is the active ingredient in marijuana; the higher THC, the greater its effect).

Myrden is also concerned about the quality of marijuana grown in what used 
to be a mine. She fears it may contain traces of heavy metals -- metals she 
does not want to inhale.

Swift, however, said the marijuana is being grown in a controlled system 
with adequate THC content. And he said Prairie Plant Systems had to comply 
with federal safety standards in the contracting process and is confident 
the marijuana will be free of dangerous metals.

Still, Myrden is skeptical and frustrated. It's been a long fight for her 
and a group of medical marijuana advocates who operate a Web-based network 
of support at www.themarijuanamission.com. She knows she needs marijuana to 
be comfortable and can't understand why a federally-sponsored supply is not 
yet ready.

"We should be able to go to the pharmacy and get it," she said. "It can't 
cost more than $2 to grow an ounce. It's like growing tomatoes."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Alex