Pubdate: Sun, 15 Jun 2014
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.ottawasun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.ottawasun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Author: Jessica Hume
Page: 9

WHAT ARE FEDS SMOKING?

Medical marijuana group says oversight changes not needed

OTTAWA - A medical marijuana group says the additional oversight
measures proposed by the government this week are "redundant" and
previous changes to the federal marijuana program already dramatically
reduced its susceptibility to abuse.

Earlier this year, the feds introduced a major overhaul of the medical
marijuana regime, eliminating licences to grow one's own.

Since the new system was rolled out April 1, Health Canada has
received thousands of applications for medical marijuana production
licences.

According to the Health Canada website, 13 licences have been awarded
to date.

Prior to the overhaul, Health Canada complained that licences were
abused, with growers exceeding their limits and selling the extra
product outside the law.

Adam Greenblatt of the Montreal-based Medical Cannabis Access Society
says taking away individuals' right to grow their own has greatly
diminished opportunities for abuse.

"I don't see much room for abuse in the system," Greenblatt told QMI
Agency in an interview Saturday. "You can't get a licence to grow your
own, so you can't grow extra."

Last week, Health Minister Rona Ambrose proposed amendments to the
existing system that require licensed medical marijuana producers to
regularly report to provincial regulatory authorities what doctors are
prescribing how much marijuana and to whom.

Greenblatt doesn't approve.

"It 's redundant because in Saskatchewan, Alberta, in Quebec there are
already provisions at the provincial level that force the doctors to
report that information," he said. "And the effect on the patient is
not good because this scares more physicians out of wanting to prescribe."

Greenblatt says one solution is specialized medical marijuana clinics
that understand how to navigate the increasingly complicated
regulatory regime.

"Clinics that specialize in cannabis medicine across Canada, that can
handle the complex administrative stuff that goes along with the new
regulations."

The proposed amendments are published in the Canada Gazette - the
publication of proposed laws - and the period for public comment ends
July 13.
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MAP posted-by: Matt