cannabisnews.com: MD Resigns From Health Canada Over Pot





MD Resigns From Health Canada Over Pot
Posted by CN Staff on July 15, 2003 at 16:26:48 PT
By Dennis Bueckert, Canadian Press 
Source: Canadian Press 
Ottawa -- A Toronto doctor who has AIDS has resigned from Health Canada's advisory committee on medical marijuana, saying he doesn't trust Health Minister Anne McLellan to handle the file. Greg Robinson, one of two people with serious illnesses on the committee, is upset by McLellan's decision to terminate a study by the Community Research Initiative of Toronto (CRIT) into the use of cannabis as an appetite stimulant.
CRIT had spent about $800,000 of a $2-million grant before its funding was terminated in March, just as it was about to begin clinical trials. It has since closed its offices.Robinson says he reluctantly resorted to smoking marijuana even though he hates the so-called "high," because it allows him to stem his weight loss. But he worries about side effects."They just shut the research down and some of us are waiting anxiously to find out if what we're doing to ourselves is really helping," he said.He said he strongly suspects there's a benefit in his case, but would like scientific evidence. If CRIT's work was unsatisfactory, the work should be carried on by some other group, he said."I don't have any appetite left with my disease. I had no other options. I went the usual medical route and I ended up a zombie."This way I can take a small puff, half a joint, a whole joint before dinner. I do not like being stoned."McLellan said in an interview that CRIT is being audited, and its funding won't be renewed."There have been concerns identified by my officials and those concerns are being followed up," she said.The health minister said CRIT's work hasn't been wasted, and Health Canada may fund other groups to build on it. She said other cannabis research projects are proceeding.However there is only one other marijuana project underway, and it deals with the effects of cannabis on pain. Other projects are expected but haven't been approved."The loss of CRIT as the only AIDS organization in Canada dedicated solely to HIV/AIDS community-based research, is a tragedy," Robinson said in his letter of resignation to McLellan.Robinson also disagrees with McLellan's plan to have doctors distribute medical marijuana, saying the drug should be provided through pharmacists and compassion clubs.The Canadian Medical Association has been highly critical of the proposed system, saying doctors are being forced to provide a drug whose benefits have not been proven in clinical trials. Robinson said Health Canada has created a "Catch-22" dilemma by insisting on clinical evidence before approving marijuana use, but thwarting the clinical trials needed to get the evidence."I no longer have faith in your ability to understand compassion for seriously and chronically ill patients," his letter said.McLellan insisted Health Canada is firmly committed to clinical research into the possible benefits of cannabis.Note: Cites lack of faith in McLellan.Source: Canadian Press Author: Dennis Bueckert, Canadian Press Published: Tuesday, July 15, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Canadian PressRelated Articles & Web Sites:CRIThttp://www.crit.ca/Health Canadahttp://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/Giving a Graceless Okay To Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16818.shtml Canada's Cannabis HIV/AIDS Study Suspendedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16643.shtmlCanada's First Marijuana Study To Beginhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14393.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by goneposthole on July 16, 2003 at 06:32:38 PT
the empire reigns supreme
The Empire, formerly the USA, rules the world. Doesn't matter what it might be; liberty for the Iraqis or gently prod the Canadian 'appointed and annointed' to play along for their own
;good', it matters none whatsoever. Anything to make anybody's life topsy turvy. War in Iraq, NK, Afghanistan, or guidance to 'properly' handle cannabis prohibition in Canuckistan, the Empire will be there to cross the Rubicon. We should all feel
much better that the Empire will choose the best for us all. All bow your heads before you receive your alms. You should be so lucky.
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Comment #6 posted by kaptinemo on July 16, 2003 at 03:59:42 PT:
Do I detect the gnarly hand of Uncle squeezing?
Forgive me for seeming paranoid..but they really ARE out to get us...I think it is rather obvious that Uncle has had an inordinately high degree of say in Canadian affairs for the last 23 years. Ever since Mulroney there's been an increase in the amount of influence Uncle has been able to exert in daily Canadian domestic matters. The very presence of the DEA on Canadian soil, purportedly only as 'observers' (largely, I suspect, in the military sense) is enough to give one pause to wonder just who is in charge of Canadian justice.McLellan had to have had some fairly regular run-ins with her DEA 'allies' previously; she probably has their numbers on a speed dialer. And she has *never* wanted to be put on the spot for cannabis. Perhaps a call was made from Washington to Ottawa to put the quiet kibosh on the CRIT? Just as the US Compassionate Use patient program was axed by Bush the First for fear of being swamped by AIDS victims (who would provide immediate and ample proof of cannabis's medicinal qualities by allowing tens of thousands to survive treatment, and give the lie to the Guv'mint's propaganda in the worst way) it may be that Bush the Lesser gave the signal for La McLellan to roll over and play dead.I've said it before: I want to see the phone logs of the US State and Justice Departments regarding phone communications between them and their Canadian counterparts. I would wager half a month's pay that every time some news story detailing cannabis's myriad medical uses shows up in the Canadian media, the phone lines get incandescent...
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on July 15, 2003 at 18:48:58 PT
312
I'm sorry 312 but that's the only way to do it. I don't think it can be fixed. I know Matt fixed a problem we had with words hanging to the left and Ron put in the preview screen. This is a complicated program for being a simple news site. I am just glad I don't have to fix it when it breaks because I have no idea how to fix it. I can make my personal web pages but it's nothing like CNews. This is a very big web site when you think how many articles are archived. Almost 17,000 articles! It makes me tired just thinking about it! LOL!
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Comment #4 posted by 312 on July 15, 2003 at 18:18:29 PT
News from UK420.com
Is there any way of listing things under each other? This comment posting facility seems to bunch up sentences separated by [Return], so I had to put a full line space between lines of the address.Today at Worthing Magistrates Court Winston Matthews one of the pioneers of Worthing's Coffeeshops was remanded in custody at Lewes Prison facing various cannabis related charges.Cards, letters, messages of support can be sent to:Winston MatthewsHMP LewesBrighton RoadLewesEast SussexBN7 1EA
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Comment #3 posted by mayan on July 15, 2003 at 17:41:34 PT
"The Munchies"
Everyone knows that cannabis gives you the "munchies". Just that single aspect of it's efficacy as medicine warrants it's use by the sick & dying. With the recent news about "Iraq-gate" isn't it now totally clear to everyone that we are being ruled by criminals who are only concerned about money? The same folks who lied to justify a war for oil are the same folks who take millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical companies to keep cannabis illegal. The greatest conspiracy theory is that there are no conspiracies. It's all relative.Sorry if this has already been posted, but here is an interesting piece regarding the absurdity of the drug war...The War on Drugs COULD Have Been AVOIDED!
http://www.brendastardom.com/arch.asp?ArchID=221The way out is the way in...9/11 Commission Covers Up Bush Family Ties:  
http://www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=75&contentid=890Senators want 9/11 report declassified:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030713/pl_afp/us_attacks_saudi_030713193452Some 9/11 families choose lawsuits over federal fund:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=716&e=22&u=/usatoday/20030714/ts_usatoday/5320123First Interim Report Of 9/11 Commission:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/archive/scoop/stories/2c/a5/200307101629.1b5c4c7d.htmlJustice Dept. Refuses to Let Qaeda Member Testify:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/14/national/14WIRE-MOUSS.html?ex=1059233999&ei=1&en=f075ece710df9ac6BLOOD IN THE WATER - Watergate II - by Michael C. Ruppert:
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/071503_watergate_II.html
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Comment #2 posted by Virgil on July 15, 2003 at 17:31:08 PT
Windsor Star Article
I am researching places across just across the Canabis Curtain. The Windsor Star is the newspaper for the city just across from Detroit. It had the subject with a little more information- http://www.canada.com/windsor/story.asp?id=92C60623-4503-4A94-9278-D26EE0C1FFC1The Niagara Gazette is the American newspaper for Niagara Falls, NY- http://www.niagara-gazette.com/ Houses are cheap and a house in Buffalo, only 15 minutes away, is only $15,900 at ebay.http://www.canada.com/niagarafalls/ is for Niagara Falls, Ontario. It is just about a third of a mile from the Greyhound station to the Rainbow Bridge that crosses into Canada. A person needs a picture ID and proof of American citizenship to cross and what that is I am not sure.I cannot find a forum yet to get any details of what is going on in Windsor and Niagara Falls in Canada. I think both sides of the Rainbow Bridge are park lands which is great. I am working on preparation. It is just hard to figure out what is going on with the possession laws. Where is the soup? Why haven't the Americans gone there to surrender in the Cannabis Wars? What a media blockade.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 15, 2003 at 16:32:49 PT
Interesting Article
This is interesting because even a Doctor doesn't trust Anne McLellan. I understand why.
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