Pubdate: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 Source: Red Deer Advocate (CN AB) Copyright: 2005 Red Deer Advocate Contact: http://www.reddeeradvocate.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2492 Author: Brenda Kossowan, Advocate Staff Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada) POT PILLS BEING OFFERED OVER COUNTER Coming Soon To A Store Near You - Pot Pills. Shirley Martin, Alberta distributor for Nova Scotia-based Med-Marijuana, said on Monday that she is actively seeking dealers in the Red Deer area. Med-Marijuana is being sold as an over-the-counter remedy in Calgary and Edmonton, but has not yet been picked up in Red Deer, said Martin, who has a growing mailing list of local buyers. But don't look to Martin's pills for any kind of a buzz, says Christopher Williams, media relations officer with Health Canada in Ottawa. Williams said the pills have a very low concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). "It's essentially hemp oil. It's well below the guidelines we'd set for medicinal marijuana," he said. Williams says medicinal marijuana must contain 10 parts per billion of THC. Anything less than that is not considered to be a controlled substance under federal regulations. Med-Marijuana contains less than two ppb of THC. Health Canada has approved the use of medical cannabis for people suffering from spasms, pain and other symptoms of such maladies as multiple sclerosis, cancer, spinal injuries and arthritis. Martin said her customers buy the pills for relief from such maladies as arthritis and high blood pressure. While its THC content is extremely low, she said its medicinal effects are quite different from hemp, which is from the same plant family as marijuana. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom