cannabisnews.com: Canada To Offer Marijuana To Medical Patients Canada To Offer Marijuana To Medical Patients Posted by CN Staff on July 09, 2003 at 19:49:03 PT By Clifford Krauss Source: New York Times Toronto — The Canadian government announced an interim plan today that will provide marijuana on a regular basis to several hundred people who are authorized to use the drug for medical reasons.Coming six weeks after the federal government introduced a bill decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana and only days after it approved a trial "safe injection site" in Vancouver for intravenous drug users, the marijuana plan was one more sign that Ottawa is moving in a very different direction on drug policy from the Bush administration. Thousands of Canadians already visit so-called "compassion clubs" in Vancouver and a few other cities, which distribute marijuana to those who come with a note from a doctor saying that the drug can help their condition. The police have occasionally entered some of the clinics and seized marijuana, but for the most part they function in the open.The decision to allow the government to provide marijuana to people with illnesses ranging from cancer to arthritis to epilepsy was forced by a ruling in January by the Ontario Superior Court that federal marijuana access regulations were unconstitutional because they did not provide patients with a legal distribution system.The government is appealing the ruling, meaning that the announcement may not stand."It was never our intention to sell the product," said Health Minister Anne McClellan, a skeptic of medical marijuana use.The cabinet is divided on whether the government should be growing and distributing marijuana, an activity that is otherwise illegal. Ms. McClellan noted today that there is a lack of clinical evidence that marijuana has medicinal benefits. She added that the government will conduct its own clinical trials, scheduled to begin this fall, to gauge possible benefits.The government says it intends to distribute the marijuana through doctors. Some officials of doctors associations have raised cautions about doing so before there is more study about the impact of marijuana use on people's health.While the courts decide on the government's appeal, Ottawa will provide as many as 500 people, who have received letters from doctors saying the drug offered them medical benefits, with dried marijuana and marijuana seeds for their own planting. The marijuana will cost patients almost $4 a gram, or about half the black market price.The bags of seeds will cost about $15. The marijuana will come from an underground laboratory situated in an old mine in Flin Flon, Manitoba."This is a very small victory but a victory nevertheless," said Alison Myrden, a multiple sclerosis patient who appeared before television cameras today in front of the Parliament building holding a marijuana plant and smoking a marijuana cigarette. Source: New York Times (NY)Author: Clifford KraussPublished: July 10, 2003 Copyright: 2003 The New York Times CompanyContact: letters nytimes.com Website: http://www.nytimes.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Canadians for Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccess.ca/The Medical Marijuana Missionhttp://www.themarijuanamission.com/Canada To Sell Medical Marijuana To Ill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16799.shtmlCanada To Sell Marijuana for Medical Usehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16798.shtmlOttawa's Pot Grower Will Supply Patientshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16789.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by mayan on July 10, 2003 at 06:25:47 PT Don't Fall For It! I hope the courts don't get fooled again. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on July 09, 2003 at 21:54:27 PT Thanks afterburner After I made my comment I looked and saw the link you posted and posted it right away! Thank you! I was on the phone with Richard. We don't talk very often but when we do we talk for awhile so I was away from the computer. We are going to set up a list for CNews. I think it will be a good thing. We can at least give it a try! http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16808.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by afterburner on July 09, 2003 at 21:38:57 PT: FoM- Try this One http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16803.shtml#11 [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on July 09, 2003 at 21:18:18 PT afterburner I still can't find an article about Marc. I hope we get one soon. I'm sure Marc is doing fine. He's a survivor and he is probably talking and telling everyone that will listen why he feels like he and all of us do. I'd feel better if I had an article to post. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by afterburner on July 09, 2003 at 21:06:58 PT: Good Morning, America. How Are You? Don't you know me? I'm your native son. I'm from a new land. I come to you and see all this ruin. What are you doin'? He ain't heavy, he's my brother.This is not the real story. You missed it: "Marc Emery Arrested in Winnipeg http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-2051.html Miscellaneous with Pot-TV Running Time: 3 min Date Entered: 09 Jul 2003 Viewer Rating: 0.00 (0 votes) Number of Views: 6 http://www.pot-tv.net/ram/pottvshowse2051.ram Marc Emery was arrested today in Winnipeg in an effort to educate the Winnipeg Police that there is currently no law in Canada against marijuana. Unwilling to face the reality, the Winnipeg Police arrested Marc Emery for possession of the bowl of marijuana he was smoking, and as they claimed no magistrate was available, they will hold him in the Winnipeg Remand Center overnight, and Marc will then represent himself in the morning session. We encourage all Marijuana activists and Marc Emery Supporters to phone the Winnipeg Police and demand they set Marc Emery Free. Phone the Winnipeg Police at (204)986-6037, fax (204)944-8468 . "ego transcendence follows ego destruction, be there or be square. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment