Pubdate: Wed, 17 Feb 2010
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2010 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/O3vnWIvC
Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Author: Dr. David Saul
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n115/a10.html

UNDERSTAFFING DELAYS MEDICAL POT

Re: 'For Everyone's Sake, Regulate and Legalize It,' letters to the 
editor, Feb. 11.

As a medical doctor and an advocate of legalized marijuana for 
medicinal purposes, I have to disagree with Carl Anderson's letter 
about the "terribly flawed" medical marijuana system in Canada. The 
"system" for obtaining medical marijuana access from Health Canada is 
solely between the patient and the doctor. Health Canada's Medicinal 
Marijuana Access Program (MMAP) is not poorly planned or run in bad 
faith. It is however understaffed, and that results in a 16-week 
delay in processing the initial enrollment forms. But the approval 
for my patients to obtain, use, grow or designate a grower is 
guaranteed when I sign my name to the form.

The issue with cannabis or any drug MDs prescribe becomes a clinical 
medical decision and no one at the MMAP can ever interfere with that.

Dr. David Saul, Toronto.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart