Pubdate: Wed, 15 Apr 2015
Source: Metro (Ottawa, CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Metro
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/Ottawa
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4032
Author: Arielle Follett
Page: 15

VETS FIGHT FOR MEDICAL POT

Former soldier pushing to meet with minister

Former soldiers who want timely access to medical marijuana say they
are undeterred despite having been denied a meeting with Veterans
Affairs Minister Erin O'Toole.

Retired corporal Clayton Goodwin, who represents a group known as
Veterans for the Use of Medical Marijuana, was shut out of O'Toole's
stakeholder meeting Tuesday at the Canadian War Museum.

A spokesperson for the minister said Veteran Affairs staff have spoken
with Goodwin and are setting up a one-on-one meeting.

"There isn't a lot of blame to be placed on Veteran Affairs, they're
working," Goodwin said.

"It's more that we need to work towards ending stigma and shame and
get more voices in a room because I'm not aware if we're ever brought
up in there."

Veteran Affairs data shows the number of ex-soldiers eligible for
medical marijuana jumped to 601 in the last year, up from 116 the
previous year.

Those veterans are facing unacceptable delays in procuring the drug
and the government is taking too long to reimburse them, he added.

"If everyone is in (the meeting) representing some section of the
Veteran Affairs file, I would like to know if we're being
represented.

"Because if we're not, that's 600 silent voices."

O'Toole, meanwhile, said Veteran Affairs will be hiring more than 100
new disability benefits staff, speeding up the application process -
and complimenting the more than 100 new case workers announced earlier
this week.

In the meeting, the minister did not specifically address the issue of
medical marijuana for veterans. O'Toole also said he wants Veterans
Affairs to strive for service excellence and to work closely with the
Canadian Armed Forces.

"We want everything we do to be 'veteran-centric,' having the veteran
and their family at the core of everything we do," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Matt