cannabisnews.com: Pot Law Sparks Local Protest





Pot Law Sparks Local Protest
Posted by CN Staff on February 14, 2004 at 07:45:08 PT
By Deirdre Swain 
Source: Kingston Whig-Standard 
High winds nearly foiled a 51-year-old woman’s attempt to call attention to the medical marijuana issue yesterday. Michelle LeHeup, a Kingston artist, smoked marijuana on the steps of Kingston Police headquarters on Queen Street at noon, but for a moment it looked as though she wouldn’t be able to get it lit. LeHeup said she was defying the law in order to draw attention to what she sees as the near-impossibility of cancer patients to get permission to use medical marijuana. 
She said the current regulations mean “you have to be dying” before you can get permission. Her son died of testicular cancer at 26, and “no one saw it coming,” she said. LeHeup had surgery to treat kidney cancer in January, 2003. She is now cancer-free, but has been told there is a high risk of the disease recurring. She said that every time she stops smoking pot, she gets sick. In 2001, Health Canada created three categories for patients who can smoke marijuana for medical purposes. The first one is for patients with terminal illnesses, whose life spans are likely to be less than a year. The second is for people with specific symptoms: severe pain or muscle spasms related to multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury or disease; severe pain, weight loss or nausea due to cancer or AIDS/HIV or severe arthritis pain and epileptic seizures. The third is for people with serious health problems not listed in category two. Hepatitis sufferers sometimes apply for marijuana use under this category. Patients in all three categories have to get at least one doctor to state that conventional medication has been tried or considered. In all cases, patients must apply to Health Canada to grow pot for themselves or choose someone else to grow it for them. The Canadian Medical Association has expressed concerns about the Health Canada regulations. In 2001, the CMA’s president wrote to former Health Minister Allan Rock, suggesting that more study on the effects and benefits of marijuana was needed. LeHeup’s demonstration ended without incident. At one point, two officers in civilian dress came out of police headquarters, but did not speak to her. They went back inside once she left. Source: Kingston Whig-Standard (CN ON)Author: Deirdre SwainPublished: Saturday, February 14, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Kingston Whig-StandardContact: whiged thewhig.comWebsite: http://www.kingstonwhigstandard.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Canadians for Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccess.ca/Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmHealth Canada's Reefer Madnesshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17376.shtmlHealth Canada Medical Marijuana Could Be Betterhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17348.shtmlGovernment Cannabis Unfit for Humanshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17321.shtml
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