Pubdate: Sun, 20 Jul 2003 Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB) Copyright: 2003 Winnipeg Free Press Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502 Author: Andrea Sands, Edmonton Sun Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) MARIJUANA RESEARCH TO CONTINUE DESPITE TROUBLES: MCLELLAN EDMONTON -- Despite two high-profile resignations from the federal government's medicinal marijuana program, Health Minister Anne McLellan said work will continue on what could be the most comprehensive cannabis research in the world. The department's medical marijuana program seems to have been gripped by chaos after the departure of its boss and a committee adviser. "We will continue to push ahead with the research and the clinical trials," said McLellan. "We will share the results, not only obviously with Canadians but I think globally. The clinical trials we'll do will probably end up being some of the largest ever done anywhere." Cindy Cripps-Prawak left her job as director of the Office of Medical Access last week, two days after the department introduced a plan to distribute medical marijuana through doctors' offices. The interim plan was introduced in response to an Ontario court ruling that patients had to be given some legal means of obtaining the drug and has been criticized with equal vehemence by doctors and patients. The Canadian Medical Association has strongly advised doctors not to participate. However, a government spokeswoman has said Cripps-Prawak's departure was planned months ago and had nothing to do with the new plan. Meanwhile, Dr. Greg Robinson, who is an AIDS patient, resigned from Health Canada's advisory committee because of what he described as inconsistencies in the access program. Robinson has said he was upset over the termination of a study by the Community Research Initiative of Toronto into the use of cannabis as an appetite stimulant. The organization had already spent about $800,000 of a $2-million grant before funding was cut in March just as clinical trials were to begin. McLellan herself has admitted to having some worries about supplying pot to patients. "My concern, as the minister of health, is if in fact you have a program on the basis of medicinal benefit, you have to prove the medicinal benefit, and that's why we have to do the research on the clinical trials, as we would expect with any other drug, product or therapy." -- Edmonton Sun - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom