Pubdate: Thu, 09 Jul 2015
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/letters.html
Website: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Stephanie Levitz
Page: A11

CANNABIS OIL AND FRESH MARIJUANA NOW AVAILABLE

Rules that limited medical marijuana users to only dried forms of the
drug have gone up in smoke.

Forms of marijuana that can be used to make everything from brownies
to lip balms will now be legally available following Health Canada's
swift response to a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that had struck
down an element of the previous regulations on access to medical
marijuana as unconstitutional.

In a directive issued Wednesday, the department said that cannabis
oils, as well as fresh marijuana buds and leaves, can now be sold by
licensed producers provided they follow similar packaging and
labelling requirements that exist for dried marijuana.

The medical cannabis industry applauded the move as a signal that
Canada is a world leader in compassionate and rational medical
cannabis policy.

But Health Minister Rona Ambrose suggested the government only acted
because it had to.

"It's important that Canadians understand that marijuana is not an
approved drug in Canada or an approved medicine. It has not gone
through what is the very rigorous testing for safety and efficacy that
every drug in Canada goes through," Ambrose said at an unrelated event
in Edmonton Wednesday.

"(Health Canada) will implement what the Supreme Court has said in
their court-imposed marijuana for medicinal purposes program. But
their first top-of-line message is, 'Marijuana is not a medicine.'
"

In June, the top court ruled that the existing regulations restricting
medical marijuana possession to dried pot violated the charter in part
because anyone possessing other forms of the drug was at risk of going
to jail.

"The prohibition of non-dried forms of medical marijuana limits
liberty and security of the person in a manner that is arbitrary and
hence is not in accord with the principles of fundamental justice,"
said the unanimous written judgment.

The ruling also said because there were limited ways to use dried pot,
people were forced to choose a treatment that was potentially less
effective or even dangerous for them in order to comply with the law -
and that too was unconstitutional.

In turn, however, the ruling created some confusion as to whether it
gave people the right to sell products made from marijuana, like
butters or brownies.

The new regulations allow licensed producers to sell cannabis oil or
fresh leaves or buds, but they can't turn it into other products.

But the regulations do allow those authorized to possess medical
marijuana to convert any form of the drug, including dried, into other
products for their own use, which they legally weren't allowed to do
before.

For patients, it's a welcome step forward, the Canadian Medical
Cannabis Industry Association said in a statement.

Many can't inhale cannabis, and others find they are better able to
manage their symptoms by ingesting, rather than inhaling, they said.

"By including a greater variety of options for different modes of
delivery, Canada has shown itself once again to be a world leader in
compassionate and rational medical cannabis policy," said Neil Belot,
the association's executive director.
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