cannabisnews.com: Patient Sues to Obtain Safe Source of Med. Pot





Patient Sues to Obtain Safe Source of Med. Pot
Posted by FoM on April 13, 2000 at 10:57:32 PT
By Jonathan Kay, National Post 
Source: National Post 
The federal government should provide a "safe, secure and affordable supply of marijuana" to Canadians who require the substance for legitimate medical purposes, lawyers for James Wakeford, a Toronto AIDS patient, argued in court yesterday. "To get the marijuana he needs," lawyer Alan Young told Judge Blenus Wright of Ontario Superior Court, "Mr. Wakeford has to expose himself to risk. 
Two of his caregivers have already been arrested. He has to buy marijuana on the black market. He's been ripped off. And he exposes himself to products that contain fungi and adulterants." Mr. Wakeford is seeking a court order that will force Ottawa to provide him with the drug. He also wants legal immunity for the caregivers who occasionally supply him with marijuana and help him with cultivation. In 1999, Mr. Wakeford became the first Canadian awarded an exemption to possess and cultivate marijuana. Since then, 35 others have received similar exemptions. However, Mr. Wakeford calls that right "illusory" because he has no legal source from which to buy young marijuana plants. He also argues that, like many similarly situated individuals, he lacks the physical strength, facilities and botanical expertise to grow an adequate crop. "It's as if the federal government says to him, 'Go get a loaf of bread, let it grow mould and make your own penicillin,' " Mr. Young told the court. Mr. Wakeford has used marijuana since 1996 to relieve the nausea and appetite loss caused by AIDS medications. His case is being heard amid new reports that suggest marijuana provides effective relief from a wide range of ailments, including nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy, intra-ocular pressure caused by glaucoma and muscle spasticity. Mr. Wakeford's legal battle began in 1998, when he successfully sought an exemption from portions of Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. That action eventually forced the Ministry of Health to develop a standardized procedure for cases in which sick Canadians seek similar exemptions. Since then, Allan Rock, the Health Minister, has announced plans to develop a domestic source of marijuana for medical and research purposes, as well as clinical trials to test its medicinal properties. Judge Wright reserved judgment. "Jim was like an icebreaker," said a fellow AIDS sufferer and CDSA-exemptee attending the hearing. "He challenged the government and opened the door for the rest of us." Meantime, another exemptee in attendance yesterday was spotted rolling a joint on his lap during the afternoon session, filling the courtroom with the smell of dried marijuana. The 45-year-old Oshawa man, who says he suffers from hepatitis C, later smoked the joint outside court. "I'm here to fight for the right to have the medicine, to have the prescription Allan Rock wrote me. I want it filled," he said.Published: April 13, 2000Copyright © Southam Inc.Related Articles & Web Site:Jim Wakeford Medical Marijuana Websitehttp://www.interlog.com/~wakeford/AIDS Patient Tired of Going to the Streets for Pothttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5373.shtmlMarijuana-Smoker Going To Court for Safe Supply http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4405.shtmlMarijuana's Truth and Consequences http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3493.shtmlRock Approves Pot Use for 14 More http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3153.shtml 
END SNIP -->
Snipped
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: