cannabisnews.com: Government Pot's The Pits: Patients Government Pot's The Pits: Patients Posted by CN Staff on September 16, 2003 at 11:18:53 PT By CBC News Online Staff Source: CBC Ottawa -- A few of the first patients to smoke government-approved marijuana have complained that it's horrible. Ten patients are registered with Health Canada to buy marijuana from the government to treat medical symptoms. Two of the patients, both men with AIDS, claim the marijuana's potency is too low. They are returning their 30-gram bags, and one of the men wants a refund. A third male patient is keeping his government-issued marijuana, but also feels it's subpar. Canadians for Safe Access, a patients' rights group, is also critical of the government-issued dope. The group says Health Canada pot contains about three per cent THC – the active ingredient in marijuana – rather than the 10.2 per cent advertised. The group also says the weed contains contaminants such as lead and arsenic. Health Canada insists the government-issued dope meets exacting production standards and is thoroughly tested for quality. Health Canada also said it won't accept returns or provide refunds. The federal government started distributing dope in July in the wake of an Ontario court order that determined needy patients shouldn't have to get their cannabis on the streets or from unauthorized growers. The government marijuana is grown underground, in a vacant mine in Flin Flon, Man. Health Minister Anne McLellan opposes the direct distribution of government cannabis to patients. She said the program would end if her department wins its appeal of the Ontario court decision. Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Published: September 16, 2003Copyright: 2003 CBCContact: letters cbc.ca Website: http://www.cbc.ca/Related Articles & Web Sites:Canadians for Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccess.ca/Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmCanadians Pan Government-Backed Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17312.shtmlFirst Patients Disappointed in Gov't Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17310.shtmlCanada Patients Get Government Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17161.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by ben on September 16, 2003 at 13:03:49 PT Camera Action What we need to settle this dispute is for CTV or CBC to do a skit on the delivery of the Government stash to a patient and from there to bring it to a reputable lab and do the tests all on tv. Something smells funny could it be from the Research Triangle Institute In the US I remember somthing about them that they were suppose to supply the clinical trials in Canada but then they were canceled. That all knowing eye is everywhere steering society. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on September 16, 2003 at 12:07:30 PT Does she have pea soup for brains or what? "Health Minister Anne McLellan opposes the direct distribution of government cannabis to patients. She said the program would end if her department wins its appeal of the Ontario court decision. "So she's confessing in public that this is all just a secret plot to fool the court for the sake of the appeal?Her co-conspirators must be delighted with her by now hehehehehe. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on September 16, 2003 at 12:02:27 PT It's a "man bites dog" story This story is really getting around. It slices through so many myths that the US government has so carefully constructed about marijuana and marijuana users, it's fantastic. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on September 16, 2003 at 11:53:13 PT News Brief -- Reuters Canadian Pot Patients Pan Government Marijuana By Franco Pingue Published: September 16, 2003Toronto -- Canada's government-grown marijuana is unfit for human consumption and makes some patients sick, people who have tried it said on Tuesday. The federal government has permitted more than 600 Canadians to legally buy medical marijuana, the first country in the world to do so. They are patients whose doctors prescribed pot after conventional treatments failed. "It's not marijuana, it's ground-up stems, twigs and beads and it's not fit for human consumption," said Jim Wakeford, who uses marijuana to battle AIDS symptoms. "The marijuana was offensive and obnoxious smelling, it was not helpful and it gave me bad headaches the two times I tried it." Marco Renda, who smokes marijuana to help symptoms of liver disease hepatitis C, said he temporarily used government dope after someone stole his marijuana plants. "I don't like it, and even my doctor advised me not to use it because it does nothing to help my symptoms," said Renda. A recent study by patients-rights group Canadians for Safe Access claims government dope contains 3 percent of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main active ingredient, not the 10 percent the government says. Phillipe Lucas, a spokesman with Canadians for Safe Access, who smokes marijuana to ease hepatitis C symptoms, said he canceled his government-ordered dope. Despite the complaints, Health Canada said its dope is effective and cannot be returned for refunds. "We question the validity of the test results that they have put forward because they haven't been open and transparent about where the tests were done," said Krista Apse, spokeswoman at Health Canada. Canadians for Safe Access, which said test marijuana was obtained through a reliable source with access to government pot, urged the government to conduct more tests. But the government said the medical marijuana is produced using "quality standardized marijuana" and its THC content level is about 10 percent. Copyright: 2003 Reuters Canadians for Safe Access [ Post Comment ] Post Comment