Pubdate: Sat, 02 Aug 2014
Source: Sudbury Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Osprey Media
Contact: http://www.thesudburystar.com/letters
Website: http://www.thesudburystar.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/608
Author: Carol Mulligan
Page: A3

MAN GIVES UP HUNGER STRIKE

But Continues Fight for Equitable Access to Medical Pot

Alexander Stewart has given up his hunger strike, but he hasn't given 
up the fight for more equitable access to medical marijuana.

At the urging of his family, Stewart, 54, ate some soup, peaches and 
a slice of pizza Thursday.

That was exactly one week after he stopped eating to draw attention 
to the issue of the high cost people licensed to buy medical 
marijuana must pay for it.

Stewart suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which 
halted his career as a millwright more than four years ago. Unable to 
work and on a disability pension, Steward can't afford the more than 
$ 300 an ounce it costs to purchase high-grade marijuana from growers 
licensed by Health Canada to produce it.

Stewart quit smoking when he was diagnosed with emphysema or COPD, 
and has been steeping marijuana to make a tea to boost his appetite 
and ease his aches and pains.

He's on oxygen and spends much of his time resting at his Donovan 
area home, but said the tea he was steeping was helping him eat and 
making him feel good enough to get out and go for walks.

His weight plummeted 145 pounds to 106 pounds at his lowest, and 
rebounded to 125 pounds when he took marijuana to stimulate his 
appetite. When he could no longer access it, his weight dropped to 
117 pounds on his 5- foot- 7 frame.

Stewart wanted to hear from people in the same position he is in - 
legally licensed to use medical marijuana but too poor to purchase 
it. And he did.

He heard from many people, some of whom offered him marijuana.

A man who said he has been "pretty passive" most of his life, Stewart 
said he didn't speak out because he was looking for a handout. He 
wanted to draw attention to an issue many people may be unaware of.

So, he thanked people for their concern and declined most of their 
offers. Stewart admitted he had been purchasing marijuana on the 
street - for less than the price charged by federally licensed 
growers - but he doesn't have the money to do that any more and 
doesn't want to purchase it illegally.

Stewart said he quit his hunger fast partly because of his eight 
grandchildren and also because he is optimistic a Supreme Court of 
Canada case scheduled for February might offer some relief.

Several lawsuits are challenging the federal government's overhaul of 
the medical marijuana system, which denies patients the right to grow 
medical marijuana. Many of them are claiming they have a charter 
right to grow pot and are arguing that new regulations that took 
effect in April, restricting marijuana production to licensed 
commercial growers, are unconstitutional.

Most of those cases have been delayed until the results of the 
federal court case expected to be heard next year challenging the new system.

The judge in that case issued an injunction allowing many patients to 
continue growing at home in the meantime.
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