Pubdate: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 Source: Kamloops Daily News (CA BC) Copyright: 1999 Kamloops Daily News Contact: 393 Seymour Street, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 6P6 Fax: (250) 372-0823 Website: http://www.southam.com/kamloopsdailynews/ Author: Mike Cornell MEDICINAL POT A GUTSY DECISION HEALTH MINISTER Allan Rock has said he's never smoked marijuana for medicinal purposes, but he's giving more sick and dying Canadians just that opportunity. Last week Rock announced that about 100 Canadians have written to ask for the legal right to smoke pot, but only 14 applicants have been granted exemptions by Health Canada under Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. In addition to two exemptions announced this summer, there are now 16 Canadians who can legally light up. AIDS and cancer victims say smoking marijuana helps them get over the nausea caused by harsh chemical therapies. Others say puffing pot can help relieve pain associated with diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Some say it can also curb epileptic seizures. "What motivates us is the humanitarian approach, a compassionate approach to those who are seriously sick or dying and who believe that access to marijuana will help relieve their suffering," Rock said. Those who have won the right to smoke marijuana have also won the right to grow it. An exemption under Section 56 gives them the right to cultivate or possess a controlled substance. Yet to be decided is whether the exemption gives caregivers the same rights. Rock also announced clinical trials to test marijuana for medical purposes. In a double-blind random test, a total of 250 patients will either receive research-grade cannabis in a smoked form, a commercially available drug containing synthetic THC, or a placebo. The trial is expected to start early in the new year and will take about a year to complete. Rock's announcements come at an interesting time in the history of what once was referred to as the "evil weed." In Toronto, the Ontario Court of Appeal is hearing the case of a man who is appealing a conviction for selling marijuana. His lawyer argues the federal government does not have the constitutional authority to criminalize pot because it's a relatively harmless drug that he says is safer than many foods people eat. In Calgary, a man who smoked half a joint before causing a highway accident that killed one person and injured others was found not guilty of impaired driving causing death. The judge hearing the case decided weather conditions, not the weed, were responsible for the crash. As the debate about criminalized marijuana continues, it's clear Parliament will come under pressure to legalize it for medical purposes, especially as more and more Canadians openly defy the law to get relief from the diseases that afflict them. Obviously the jury's still out on medicinal marijuana, but Rock should be congratulated for having the courage to move ahead in a cautious and controlled way. For those suffering from AIDS, cancer or multiple sclerosis, it's the least society can do. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake