cannabisnews.com: Lucas Pushes Feds To Follow Through on Promises





Lucas Pushes Feds To Follow Through on Promises
Posted by CN Staff on May 17, 2003 at 17:16:36 PT
By Brennan Clarke
Source: Victoria News 
Four months ago, Philippe Lucas went to Ottawa to protest outside meetings being held by Health Canada’s advisory committee on medical access to marijuana. On Monday, he was in Montreal making a formal presentation to the same committee. But his message to the government — stop stalling and start providing pot to patients who have received approval to use the drug under federal Medical Marijuana Access Regulations (MMAR) — is the same now as it was then. 
“We feel that it’s good that Health Canada is reaching out to organizations that have experience with medical marijuana,” said Lucas, who ran unsuccessfully for a council seat in Victoria’s last civic election. “On the other hand, we’ve had this kind of frank talk before and the government has basically gone ahead and done its own thing.” Lucas, founder of the Vancouver Island Compassion Club, travelled to Montreal with Hilary Black of the British Columbia Compassion Club Society. Lucas’ club provides medical marijuana to about 300 local residents, while the Vancouver club boasts more than 2,400 members. Lucas said his doubts about the committee stem mainly from Ottawa’s failure to act on recent court decisions that declared it unconstitutional to deny people with terminal and debilitating conditions access to medical marijuana. Three years ago, during Allan Rock’s tenure as health minister, the government began granting an exemptions for medical marijuana use under Section 56 of the Criminal Code of Canada, the same section that allows police officers to distribute drugs during sting operations. When that means of controlling the distribution of medical marijuana was declared unconstitutional, the government introduced the MMAR, which have also been declared unconstitutional. In a February 2003 ruling known as the Hitszig Decision, the Supreme Court of Canada gave Health Canada five months to start providing medical marijuana. The government has launched an appeal of the Hitszig case as well. “Basically, the courts declared the law unconstitutional, because it creates the illusion of access,” Lucas said. “The Supreme Court is frustrated with the Crown. Every time there is a court decision for them to do this, they fight it, they appeal it.” While the federal government has spent millions growing marijuana in an underground facility in Flin Flon, Man., Lucas complained that none of that marijuana has been made available. “They’ve spent $10 million on this program — the contract for Prairie Plant Systems alone is $5.7 million — and they’ve never delivered a single gram of pot,” he said. “What they’re growing is only going toward research, while they’re sending sick people into the black market.” Health Canada spokesperson Jurina Vlk said significant amounts of research have to be done before Health Canada can officially sanction the use of medical marijuana. “Health Canada could not just distribute something that hasn’t been tested. It has to undergo clinical trials like any other drug,” Vlk said. “It’s not an approved therapeutic product anywhere in the world.” Unofficially, however, Health Canada supports the use of medical marijuana by allowing doctors to issue permission slips to patients who are deemed eligible and letting compassion clubs provide the pot with a minimum of police harassment. “You have to draw a distinction between the criminal and the compassionate side of things. We’ve provided an authorization so (medical users) will not have a criminal offence.” Not only that, decriminalization of marijuana possession for all users may be just around the corner. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien have both said the Liberal government will introduce legislation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot for personal use, with such a federal bill expected to be tabled in Ottawa this week. But for Lucas, the government’s actions are at odds with, its words. He says the Chretien Liberals have deliberately stalled the program for political reasons, not the least of which is a fear of repercussions from the U.S. government. “Instead of gradually making marijuana available, the government has tightened the restrictions on who can and who cannot use pot as medicine,” he said. “They’ve been increasing the number of hoops people have to jump through. Under the old Section 56, you needed the approval of just one doctor. Now you need a G.P. and two specialists.” Even the B.C. Medical Association, which has taken a cautious approach to medical marijuana issue, says the federal government has been slow to react. “Slow? I would say more like glacial. It’s been quite disappointing,” said BCMA president Lynn Shore. “We were encouraged that they were going to follow suit with testing that would help determine the side effects, benefits, correct dosages... we’ve always been in favour of evidence-based medicine and that’s what doctors need to know to prescribe a drug safely.” Vlk said the decision on distributing government-grown marijuana will depend on the results of the clinical trials. But Lucas said Health Canada is “scrambling” to meet the court-appointed deadline and has grown more than enough pot — 26 crops by some estimates — to conduct tests that need to be done. “I have no doubt they’ll have something in place by the beginning of July,” Lucas said. “Whether it will be any better than what we have now, we’ll have to wait and see.” Source: Victoria News (CN BC)Author: Brennan ClarkePublished: May 13, 2003Copyright: 2003 Victoria NewsWebsite: http://www.vicnews.com/Contact: vicnews vinewsgroup.comRelated Articles & Web Sites:Vancouver Island Compassion Club http://www.thevics.com/Medical Marijuana Access Regulationshttp://www.medicalmarihuana.ca/mmar.htmlCompassion Club Wants Say in Pot Debate http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16268.shtmlDecriminalized Pot Not Enough for Medical Usershttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16264.shtmlCanadian Marijuana Ready for Trialshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16200.shtml
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Comment #2 posted by Virgil on May 18, 2003 at 08:54:48 PT
2Spooky
There is national health care in most of western Europe, just like Canada. My belief is that the legislation for cannabis as prescription medicine is approved but it will take just a few months to arrange the suppliers and get the ducks to line up. One thing Nol van Shaik says is that the coffeeshop system that sells cannabis to MMJ patients is cheaper than what the taxpayers of the Netherlands will be paying for the prescription cannabis and is worthy of refunds, the English translation of the word used there.There is a great awakening ahead of us. At least some countries have learned the lessons of history, that cannabis prohibition is a pox that plaques the people and that cannabis is a wonderful treasure to be shared with all of mankind. That is what Ann Bolyn? meant when she said, "Give them soup."
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Comment #1 posted by 2Spooky on May 18, 2003 at 07:20:00 PT
More BS
“Health Canada could not just distribute something that hasn’t been tested. It has to undergo clinical trials like any other drug,” Vlk said. “It’s not an approved therapeutic product anywhere in the world.” Guess he doesnt bother to read the world news then.Cant you get it by prescription at the pharmacy over in the Netherlands? And isnt it even covered by insurance now?!?
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