cannabisnews.com: Feds Will Supply Medicinal Pot: McLellan 





Feds Will Supply Medicinal Pot: McLellan 
Posted by CN Staff on August 26, 2002 at 21:41:21 PT
By The Canadian Press
Source: Toronto Star 
The federal government is not backing away from its plan to supply patients with medical marijuana, Health Minister Anne McLellan said today, bristling at earlier reports that the project has been shelved.Her department hopes clinical trials on research-grade pot can begin at the end of fall or in early winter, McLellan said, refuting suggestions she is not keen to go ahead with the controversial plan to distribute marijuana for medicinal purposes.
"In fact, far from shelving it, what we're doing is implementing the second stage," McLellan said.The first stage was to pass legislation last summer amending drug laws so that people with certain medical conditions — such as multiple sclerosis, HIV, cancer and Crohn's disease — could apply for special exemptions that would allow them to use pot to relieve their symptoms."We have 855 of those people. More people continue to apply," McLellan said.After a news report last week suggested the plan was being shelved, she said some patients called the government and asked if their exemption was being taken away."Of course not," McLellan added. "That process is in place. It will continue."The second stage is clinical trials. "Clinical trials are absolutely key, especially for us in the Department of Health," McLellan said, repeating what she told the Canadian Medical Association earlier this month.The safety, efficacy and long-term effects of marijuana must be studied — just like any drug, she said."If we let it go on the market and somebody died, you people would be the first to say: `Oh look, there's the Department of Health not discharging its responsibility in relation to protecting the safety and security of Canadians.' "Ottawa signed a $5.7-million, four-year contract in 2000 with Saskatoon-based Prairie Plant Systems to grow marijuana for the government. The pot is being grown deep in a former mine in Flin Flon, Man.The government couldn't go ahead with an earlier crop because it wasn't standardized and therefore not suitable to use in trials, she said. "They've grown a second crop and we're testing it," McLellan said. "We believe that we have overcome that problem. We have a standardized crop which can be used."However, a Health Canada official said in December the first crop was quality-tested and was ready for distribution to patients and researchers.A department spokesman said later Monday he couldn't account for the comment made in December.Prairie Plant Systems declined to comment, saying all information must come from Health Canada.Medical marijuana users say pot relieves their pain or gives them an appetite or helps them sleep.While speaking to the medical association, McLellan acknowledged feeling uncomfortable with the idea of medicinal marijuana — about its safety, effectiveness and the legal issues surrounding it. She told the doctors she understood their concern over possible liability issues from prescribing pot.Some observers have suggested the government has backed away from medicinal pot because, in part, it raises cross-border issues with the United States. A noted pain specialist was quoted as saying he suspected Canada didn't want to get ahead of the United States in this area. McLellan revealed to a Commons committee in the spring that American drug-enforcement authorities wouldn't allow Health Canada access to pure, research-quality marijuana seeds from U.S. National Institute of Drug Abuse.An assistant deputy minister for Health Canada conceded at the time there are people in the U.S. government opposed to research on the benefits of marijuana.The only option left to Health Canada was to grow seeds that been confiscated by police. That produced a crop containing at least 185 different varieties.Despite McLellan's assurances that the government remains committed to the program, advocates for the medicinal use of marijuana aren't convinced that just the timelines have changed.The leader of the Marijuana Party of Canada, Marc-Boris St-Maurice accused the government of backtracking."I'm starting to question the sincerity of the government," he said in an interview from Montreal."They're so afraid of this issue that any way they can avoid it, they will," he said. Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)Published: August 26, 2002Copyright: 2002 The Toronto Star Contact: lettertoed thestar.com Website: http://www.thestar.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Party of Canadahttp://www.marijuanaparty.org/Prairie Planet Systemhttp://www.prairieplant.com/home.htmHealth Minister is On a Bad Triphttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13882.shtmlSmoke Out the Politicians http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13880.shtmlFlin Flon Mine Questions Pot-Growing Futurehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13844.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #3 posted by WolfgangWylde on August 27, 2002 at 04:38:20 PT
What a crock...
...Marijuana is one of the most studied substances on the planet. Stall and Delay, Delay and Stall.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by AlvinCool on August 27, 2002 at 04:22:44 PT
The same all over
"If we let it go on the market and somebody died, you people would be the first to say: `Oh look, there's the Department of Health not discharging its responsibility in relation to protecting the safety and security of Canadians.' "What a statement! So when is your minister going to pull aspirin off the shelf? A study is not necessary, for any but the most ignorant, to know that aspirin has killed more people than marijuana. Of course I live in the US where common sense is thrown out once someone achieves a political office, I guess career politicians are the same everywhere.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by VitaminT on August 26, 2002 at 21:59:52 PT
how quickly they get religion
"The safety, efficacy and long-term effects of marijuana must be studied . . . "Note to Anne: none of these are in question - study it if you must but get it into the hands of those who need it. We won't even begin to shut up until you do."If we let it go on the market and somebody died, you people . . . blah blah blah . . ."Further note to Anne: FAT CHANCE!
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment