cannabisnews.com: Sick N.S. Woman High on Reefer Ruling





Sick N.S. Woman High on Reefer Ruling
Posted by CN Staff on January 11, 2003 at 11:15:07 PT
By Beverley Ware, The Daily News 
Source: Halifax Daily News
A Nova Scotia woman who joined six seriously ill Ontarians in suing the federal government for access to marijuana says she is elated to have won her case. A Ontario judge ruled Thursday that Ottawa’s Medical Marijuana Access Regulations are unconstitutional because they prevent too many people from getting a medical exemption.
Unless the federal government appeals the ruling, it has six months to fix the legislation or come up with a new regime for access to medical marijuana.“I’m just absolutely elated,” said Debbie Stultz-Giffin. The 45-year-old mother of four smokes four grams of marijuana every day to deal with her multiple-sclerosis symptoms. “The federal government will finally be forced to develop a compassionate, workable system for gravely ill patients to deal with their medication. It’s just a huge relief for sick people.”Toronto law professor Alan Young argued the case. He said the judge’s decision is binding on lower courts, and he expects it to wreak havoc on marijuana-possession laws. He believes Ottawa will likely appeal the ruling within 30 days. Declined comment Several local lawyers and law professors declined to comment on the ramifications of the case in Nova Scotia, saying they hadn’t yet read the decision.Stultz-Giffin said she hopes Health Canada will allow everyone on an exemption and those who have filled out the paper work to be granted legal protection if they use marijuana, pending a new regime. “All of these people should be given automatic legal protection from Health Canada,” she said, “so that people don’t have to worry. It’s just extremely, extremely stressful for chronically ill people to be subjected to this on a daily basis.”Government estimates say between 400,000 and one million Canadians smoke marijuana for medical reasons. About 300 Canadians hold exemptions from the federal government allowing them to do it legally, and they must reapply every year. For Stultz-Giffin, that means a trip from Bridgetown, Annapolis Co., every year to see a specialist at a pain clinic in Halifax to confirm she is still suffering from MS.“If they can pull it off and come up with a workable system, it would mean I would no longer need to travel 21/2 hours to Halifax. I could just be able to go to my GP 15 minutes away,” she said.Source: Halifax Daily NewsAuthor: Beverley Ware Published: Saturday, January 11, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Daily News Website: http://www.canada.com/halifax/dailynews/Contact: http://www.canada.com/halifax/info/contactus.htmlRelated Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmMcDoobies: Millions and Millions Served? http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15168.shtmlMedicinal Pot Law Takes Hithttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15160.shtmlPot Regulations Violate Charter: Ontario Court http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15158.shtml
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