Pubdate: Tue, 16 Jun 2015
Source: Record, The (Kitchener, CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Metroland Media Group Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.therecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/225
Author: Julie Wilhelm
Page: A6

TORIES HYPOCRITICAL ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Re: Medical marijuana cookies are legal now - June 12

I do not have a strong opinion regarding marijuana as a medical
agent.

However, with the new Supreme Court decision expanding the definition
of medical marijuana to include the oil form, I feel the need to speak
out regarding the hypocrisy of Health Minister Rona Ambrose and the
Stephen Harper government.

Recently, the federal government decided to shirk responsibility and
unload decisions for prescribing marijuana to physicians.

Ambrose states "Marijuana has never gone through the regulatory
approval process at Health Canada, which of course, requires a
rigorous safety review and clinical trials with scientific evidence."

Then why have they asked us physicians to be the gatekeepers for such
a substance?

Marijuana as a medical agent will continue to be highly debated. I do
not prescribe marijuana yet, but I certainly would prefer to prescribe
it in an oil form over a dried inhaled form - the only form the
current government approves. Inhaling any substance just seems
innately more harmful.

The common sense of the Supreme Court overrides the hypocrisy of the
Conservative government once again. I wonder how much of our taxes
will be spent on an appeal.

Julie Wilhelm, MD Kitchener
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MAP posted-by: Matt