cannabisnews.com: Potpourri Potpourri Posted by CN Staff on August 23, 2002 at 18:02:54 PT Editorial Source: Halifax Herald Smoking Pot can lead to lethargy and indecision, which makes one wonder whether the feds aren't breathing in too many second-hand fumes from the medical marijuana debate. Ottawa can't seem to make up its mind how to proceed. After an Ontario court ruling two years ago, which allowed terminally ill Canadians to smoke marijuana for pain relief, the federal government decided not to appeal. Instead, it bowed before the court and changed the criminal law, making a medical exception for the ailing. Patients, however, still had no one they could buy cannabis from legally, so the Health Department stepped in and started growing its own. Ultimately, the marijuana was supposed to make its way to the 800 or so people on the approved list. Don't hold your breath. Anne McLellan, who was justice minister when the decision not to appeal was made, is now backtracking in her new capacity as health minister. She told doctors at the annual meeting of the Canadian Medical Association in Saint John this week that she's now hoping for a medical marijuana case to make it to the Supreme Court of Canada "so we can get some clarity about what is happening here." But there is no such case pending. Besides, the time to take it to the highest court in the land was two years ago, before $5.7 million was spent on the alternative - growing grass in a mine shaft in Manitoba and devising a system to distribute it for medicinal purposes. She also said the government-grown marijuana won't be available until clinical trials are through. Such trials have not even begun. Doctors are legitimately concerned - from both the liability and medical perspectives - about prescribing cannabis if they don't fully understand all the ramifications or interactions with other drugs. Moreover, she had a potpourri of other misgivings. She's uncomfortable with folks smoking pot to relieve pain and fears that if the Health Department is in the business of selling joints, it could undermine its anti-smoking campaign. Again, we ask: Should these issues not have been sorted out before millions were spent and the government committed itself to buying 400 kilograms of cannabis a year for the next four years from the company producing the plants? The way things are going, Ottawa is going to end up with a whole lot of pot on its hands that only a small minority of doctors will agree to prescribe. The patients with chronic or terminal conditions will be no further ahead in the battle to alleviate their suffering. And taxpayers will be further behind because Ottawa couldn't see the forest for the trees - or rather the grass for the blades. Source: Halifax Herald (CN NS)Published: Friday, August 23, 2002 Copyright: 2002 The Halifax Herald LimitedContact: letters herald.ns.caWebsite: http://www.herald.ns.ca/Related Articles:Flin Flon Mine Questions Pot-Growing Futurehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13844.shtmlSquabbles Erupt Over Policyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13824.shtmlHow To Stall On Medicinal Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13823.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on August 24, 2002 at 07:34:15 PT we know damn well.... It's the U.S. Why else do you think everything was proceeding smoothly until the Bush cabal took power? The poor canadians. They have 2 governments, one in Ottawa, one in Washington.I feel disgraced to be part of a country that sends cops in to attack the sick and dying. No American flag for my house until this STOPS [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on August 23, 2002 at 21:11:41 PT puff_tuff That's terrible. If you find any news please send it to me. I'm not even sure what papers to look in. I'll look though. This is really wrong. Why is this happening? Who is behind it? [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by puff_tuff on August 23, 2002 at 21:01:47 PT Another Compassion Club Raided!!!!!!!! From Cannabis Culture ForumsRCMP took the cannabis and arrested Lisa (Mamakind) today at 4pm at the Sunshine Coast Compassion Club. Please call the RCMP at 604 886 2245 and ask why they are wasting taxpayer monies, harrasing upstanding citizens, and not going after real criminals. foamhttp://www.sunshinecoastcompassionclub.org/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on August 23, 2002 at 19:49:35 PT p4me Pot TV is doing a great job. I've watched Grass the Movie and The Hemp Car in just this last day. Having a satellite is really out of this world. I wonder how many people have a high speed connection now. I've been sensing a coming together of different organizations involved in marijuana reform. It's a good feeling. We are maturing in our cause and since that is happening people are listening to what we have to say. We are going to go down in history in a way that will be unique. Isolation has kept change from happening. Fear and isolation. Many of us are tired of being afraid. Fear can consume a person I know. This isn't really about Cannabis but about freedom to be considered a good person in the eyes of the general public. Respectibility. We aren't bad people. The world doesn't realize to the full extent how much the drug culture has contributed to life's good things and in time they'll understand. When I say good things I am referring to art, music, creating the Internet etc. Most things we find that make us smile were created by someone who was or at some time in their life was under the infuence of some mind expanding substance. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by p4me on August 23, 2002 at 19:05:24 PT It is the video that really kills them I am very pleased with all the new additions to pot-tv since the John Stossel program on ABC. And I still have some things I want to see at RCCH. I think one of the best strategies for spreading the reform message is to get the RCCH and pot-tv links out to all the users of the net.I am serious again. It may be that there is now a critical mass of speeches and programs at pot-tv and RCCH that it will leak to the thousands of cannabis websites and there will be a learning frenzy. I mean what is a kid to do on Friday night in rerun season. Get on the net and explore. The problem all along has been that the reformers have had no media outlet for their messages. It has all changed and the critical mass of video presentations available to the netizens is going to explode prohibition.Anyway, pot-tv already has video of the protest in Toronto earlier today and it seems likely that the evening news will be up soon. There is also a compilation video of Ann Mcleellan and her obsufucation at http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-1482.htmlIt was just yesterday that I put up a plug for RCCH and pot-tv at my local messageboard. I have tried to put up a few links to cannabisnews so that people might come to know of this website. Now with broadband spreading and a good collection of video, I will have the chance to put up links that might introduce people to pot-tv and RCCH. I think we have reached critical mass and the explosion is coming.The Canada situation is just electrifying. The Kubbys talked again today about how the Canadian press has no outside restraint in laying into the lies and stonewalling of even the highest officials. It is almost like they are acting like the Defenders of Democracy that Jefferson had hoped for. And the Kubbys also praise the Canadian courts. And then there are the Canadian people that are in the majority for the legalization of MJ- 51% was the last number I heard and that was before the collective call of Bullshit that opened up the airwaves for debate. You take all of that and add Ann Mclellans calling for more studies while people die and suffer and then add the 25 months since the Ontario Supreme Court ordered a workable MMJ system and what do you get. You get legalisation.People that do not take a cannabis view of the news just miss out on so many things. To be witness to the Canadian reformation is wonderful. Some people just don't know what they are missing. If I ever get another dog I think I will have to call her Canada.1,2 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment