Pubdate: Fri, 06 May 2016
Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Copyright: 2016 The StarPhoenix
Contact:  http://thestarphoenix.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400
Author: Lucas Richert
Page: A11

MARIJUANA POLICY FOR CANADA'S VETERANS UNCLEAR

There are discrepancies about safe dosages, its use in treating
PTSD

Auditor general Michael Ferguson has raised important questions about
the increasing use of medical marijuana by Canadian military veterans.

As authorities contemplate enforcement actions and zoning bylaws
relevant to marijuana dispensaries, and the federal Liberal government
prepares for legalization in 2017, Ferguson is urging the Department
of Veterans Affairs to address the amount of medical cannabis being
prescribed to veterans. He found the quantity prescribed was "poorly
documented" and not always evidence-based.

Ferguson focused more broadly on how Veterans Affairs has been
managing drug benefits for former servicemen and women, some of whom
have complicated health issues and suffer from mental health
conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. The AG made it
plain that it's time to cut through the haze and clarify marijuana
policy for veterans.

The core problem rests with the amount of cannabis veterans are
authorized to take. In 2014, Veterans Affairs doubled the amount to 10
grams per day for eligible veterans. Yet, for Health Canada this is
twice the amount it considers safe. An internal Health Canada document
showed that more than five grams has the potential to increase risks
to the cardiovascular, pulmonary and immune systems, as well as
psychomotor performance. It has a chance of increasing the risk of
drug dependence.

Ferguson's office could not find any evidence to support this decision
to increase the threshold. Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr
expressed shock in March that his department lacked an "informed
policy" on the use of medical cannabis, even as number of claims by
veterans for medical marijuana grew more than tenfold over the past
two years.

According to figures provided by Veterans Affairs, 112 veterans were
reimbursed for medical marijuana in 2013-14. The following year, it
was 628. By March 2016 that number has risen to 1,320.

Mike Blais, president and founder of Canadian Veterans Advocacy, has
been abundantly clear about veterans' consumption of medical
marijuana: "I think there should be no cap, and that every case should
be judged on individual merit and that the doctor's prescription is
paramount."

At the same time, Canadian Forces have taken an alternative stand. In
2014, H.C. MacKay who was then the deputy surgeon general of the
Canadian Forces, made clear that "with respect to marijuana use for
medical purposes, we have identified what appears to be a very
significant policy divergence between Veterans Affairs Canada and
Canadian Armed Forces."

In short, even though Veterans Affairs was funding medical marijuana,
the military's health service did not recognize it for medical use.
With respect to PTSD, the Canadian Forces have also suggested there is
insufficient evidence to authorize marijuana use and could even be
detrimental to veterans' health.

Marijuana remains a highly contested medicine for various scientific,
political and social reasons. That is obvious. However, the auditor
general report reaffirms how it and the policies surrounding the
medical treatments for Canadian veterans require significant
clarification.

Lucas Richert teaches the history of pharmaceutical and recreational 
drugs at the University of Saskatchewan.
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