cannabisnews.com: Man With HIV Wants Right to Import Drug





Man With HIV Wants Right to Import Drug
Posted by FoM on September 16, 2000 at 06:43:33 PT
By David Stonehouse, The Ottawa Citizen
Source: Ottawa Citizen
A Vanier man who was one of the first people in the country allowed to grow marijuana to ease his medical problems is now fighting to win the right to import the drug. Jean Charles Pariseau filed a motion yesterday with the Federal Court of Canada asking it to order that he be allowed to bring marijuana into the country. Mr. Pariseau, a 33-year-old who is stricken with a number of medical conditions including HIV and epilepsy, is also asking the court to order Health Canada to stop restricting how much he is allowed to grow himself. 
In papers filed with the court, he says the federal department gave him permission last year to grow as much as he needed to help him with his health problems. But earlier this summer, Health Canada changed the conditions to allow him to harvest only three mature marijuana plants over six months. He argues that isn't enough to help him cope with a regimen of medications he has to take every day. "I need to smoke four or more grams of marijuana per day to help me ingest my 21 grams of pills. The more marijuana I smoke, the more I can eat and the longer I can keep my weight up and stay alive," he says in an affidavit filed with the court. "Having marijuana is the best help in helping me cope with my illnesses," he wrote. He is also anemic and suffers from an infection by a parasite. In the court filings, he labels the move by Health Canada officials to limit the doses of marijuana he can take as "unconscionable" and says they are forcing him to spend a lot of money for his hydroponic growing operation for too few plants. "I'm almost out of marijuana, virtually broke with debts I can't pay. My cablevision has just been cut off. My hydro bill is almost $300 to grow three plants with lighting that could have grown 85," he said. "This, and the stress of coping with these government officials, is killing me." A court hearing is slated for Thursday. A spokeswoman for Health Canada declined to comment, saying it would be inappropriate to talk about an individual case or a matter before the court. In a brief interview, Mr. Pariseau said the limits Health Canada has placed on him are forcing him to look for an illegal supply. "That means I'm going to have to back onto the street to buy some again," he said after filing the papers. He is also planning to protest Health Canada's decisions on Parliament Hill on Monday when the new parliamentary session opens. John Turmel, a supporter helping with the court battle, said Health Canada is requiring Mr. Pariseau to be available for experiments on other ways of ingesting marijuana on penalty of having his privileges revoked. "If he does not submit to this, they can revoke his exemption. That's terrible. His doctor should decide that. If the kid is happy smoking it and it's helping him get down his 48 pills a day why should he run around looking for a new way?" Mr. Turmel said. They will ask the court to overturn that provision as well. But Mr. Turmel said the most important bid is to get an order allowing marijuana to be imported for medical purposes. "It's legal for him to have it. It's legal for them to grow it in Holland. Why can't he just order what he needs from Holland if he can't grow enough for himself?" he said. "That's the most important one of all for all these people across Canada who need this medicine. Why make them jump through hoops? Just let them order it from Holland cheap." He hopes a recent ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeal may help. In July, the appeal court ruled that the law against possessing marijuana violates the rights of sick people who rely on the drug. The court said the law forces the ill to chose between "health and imprisonment." The appeal court upheld a stay on charges against Terry Parker, a 44-year-old Toronto man who grows marijuana and smokes three or four joints a day to control his epilepsy. He says it is the only drug that gives him relief from repeated seizures, blackouts and vomiting. The court also rejected the system of formal exemptions for those who want to possess or grow marijuana for medical reasons, ruling that the "unfettered and unstructured discretion of the minister of health is not consistent with the principles of fundamental justice." The court, however, suspended its ruling for a year to give Parliament enough time to deal with the issue. There are 72 Canadians who have been granted permission to possess or possess and cultivate marijuana for medical reasons. Published: Saturday 16 September 2000Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)Copyright: 2000 The Ottawa CitizenContact: letters thecitizen.southam.ca Address: 1101 Baxter Rd.,Ottawa, Ontario, K2C 3M4Fax: 613-596-8522Website: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/CannabisNews Articles - Canada:http://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=canada
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