Pubdate: Wed, 20 Jul 2011
Source: Jerusalem Post (Israel)
Copyright: 2011 The Jerusalem Post
Contact: http://info.jpost.com/C002/Services/Feedback/editors.html
Website: http://www.jpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/516
Author: Judy Siegel-Itzkovich
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

POLICE: IMPORTING MEDICAL MARIJUANA WOULD CURB ILLEGAL USE

6,000 patients a year now request, receive medical marijuana, but 
predictions say number of authorizations could reach 40,000 in 2016.

Medical marijuana might best be supplied to authorized patients as 
part of the basket of health services determined by the Health 
Ministry and raised by local growers rather than imported, Knesset 
Anti-Drug Committee chairman MK Taleb a- San'a said on Tuesday.

Currently, medical marijuana is supplied exclusively by local 
growers, but the Israel Police would prefer it be imported to more 
carefully monitor it and prevent illegal use, which it said has been a problem.

But in a discussion on institutionalizing the provision of the drug, 
which is known to reduce pain and other symptoms of serious diseases, 
the chairman said that local supplies allowed the authorities to 
increase supervision of marijuana and reduce the "leaking out" of 
marijuana to illegitimate drug users.

Howard Rice, former chairman of the Israel Pharmacy Association, said 
there would be no problem for pharmacists to issue medical marijuana 
in their establishments.

"Even today, we keep potential dangerous and addictive drugs in pharmacies.

To require suffering patients to travel to authorized agricultural 
growers" is unnecessary, he insisted. At present, provision of the 
drug is supervised and authorized to specific patients by Dr. Yehuda 
Baruch of the Abarbanel State Mental Health Center in Bat Yam.

There are now 6,000 patients a year who request and receive medical 
marijuana, but predictions are that the number of authorizations 
could reach 40,000 in 2016.

MK Shai Hermesh (Kadima) attacked plans to prevent the continuation 
of growing medical marijuana in Israel and to allow it only to be 
imported. "It can't be that one law will allow patients to use 
medical cannabis and at the same time another law that bars growing 
it here," the MK said.

Rav-Pakad Arela Knaffo of the Israel Police said he knew of cases in 
which family members of patients who were authorized to receive 
medical marijuana continued to acquire the drug after the patient had 
died. There are also cases of authorized growers who illegally keep 
marijuana in their homes - apparently for their own use or for 
others, she said, adding that only importing marijuana would allow 
better supervision by the law authorities. Knaffo recommended 
canceling the drivers licenses of medical marijuana users so they 
don't cause road accidents.

The ministry's Motti Mashiah insisted that it was impossible to allow 
cannabis to be supplied in pharmacies while it is still defined as a 
"dangerous drug" that is illegal to others.

He added that farmers could also not supply cannabis directly to 
legal users, "just as Teva Pharmaceuticals doesn't sell medications 
directly to patients."

Mendy Leighton of the Association for the Struggle Against Pain said 
the fact that certain amounts of medical marijuana have to be 
protected by Brinks security guards, an expense paid for by the 
patients, was unfair, as pharmacies keep no-less-dangerous drugs 
inside without having any special security.

MK Rachel Adatto (Kadima), who is a trained physician, said the 
market for medical marijuana should not be opened to foreign imports 
because it would significantly raise prices compared to local supplies.

"Patients should not have to think about which cannabis to buy [more 
cheaply]," she said.

A representative of the growers said they are willing to have 
security guards stationed in the fields if this allows them to grow 
and market the product.

The quality of Israeli medical cannabis is among the best in the 
world, said Alex Barak of the National Committee for Medical 
Marijuana Users. "The amount of security that the police demand is 
more severe than in nuclear reactors," he said.

Barak added that the ministry sometimes cancels authorization for 
patients even if they have not yet been cured.

There are only five physicians in the country with the power to 
authorize medical marijuana for children who have cancer, said Esther 
Azulay, who takes care of such patients. "This creates impossible 
situations for patients who beg to get the drug for their children 
but the doctor is abroad and nobody replaced him," she said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom