cannabisnews.com: Rock To Allow Marijuana for Severe Arthritis Rock To Allow Marijuana for Severe Arthritis Posted by FoM on April 06, 2001 at 08:12:25 PT By Brian Laghi Source: Globe and Mail Sufferers of severe forms of arthritis will be given the right to possess and smoke marijuana legally if they can prove they can't be treated with other drugs to alleviate their relentless pain, according to a statement released Friday by the federal Health Department.Ottawa's long-awaited regulations on medicinal marijuana will also allow terminal patients, people with AIDS, those with multiple sclerosis, spinal-cord injuries, epilepsy and other serious conditions to ingest the drug if it helps ease their symptoms. "Canada is acting compassionately by allowing people who are suffering from grave and debilitating illnesses to have access to marijuana for medical purposes," Health Minister Allan Rock said in the release, obtained Thursday by The Globe and Mail.The measures will also allow the government to license third parties to grow marijuana for individual sufferers who can't grow it for themselves, says the release.The new rules create three categories of people who can possess the drug: those with terminal illnesses with a prognosis of death within one year, those with symptoms associated with serious medical conditions, and those suffering from symptoms with other medical conditions.Severe arthritis is classed as a Category-2 condition, along with cancer, AIDS, HIV infection, MS and several other ailments. The drug would be used to alleviate persistent muscle spasms, seizures, severe pain, nausea, weight loss and anorexia, among other symptoms.The proposed regulations will be officially tabled Saturday, after which Canadians will have 30 days to comment before they become law, became necessary after an Ontario Court of Appeal decision last summer that found the country's marijuana-possession laws unconstitutional. The decision stems from the case of Terrance Parker, a 44-year-old with epilepsy, who won a 23-year court battle for the right to smoke and grow marijuana to control his seizures. Ottawa will put the new regulations into effect July 15.In the case of a terminal patient, the drug will be supplied only if the government can determine that all conventional treatments for the symptoms have been tried or considered and that marijuana would mitigate symptoms. Other approvals would be more difficult to obtain. For example, in cases of less-serious conditions, sufferers will have to provide statements of need signed by two medical professionals, one of which must be a specialist.Sufferers in Category 2 can only get the drug if they can prove other treatments were ineffective, if the patient experienced allergic reactions to other treatments, or if the treatment prescribed causes undesirable reactions when used with another medication.Arthritis affects one in seven Canadians and is characterized by pain, swelling and stiffness of the joints. Arthritis is not a single disorder, but the name for joint disease from a number of causes.In its most serious form, arthritis can be extremely painful, making any movement excruciating and difficult.The most common form is known as osteoarthritis. It results from wear and tear on the joints, often developing in middle age and most commonly affecting people who are 60 years or older.The new rules being announced Friday also allow for an annual renewal of the right to use the drug.For those who will be allowed to produce the drug, the rules will set maximums for the number of indoor and outdoor plants to be grown, authorize a grower to receive and possess seeds and allow for site inspections and criminal-record checks of designated growers.There are about 210 individuals across the country who have received special exemptions from prosecution to smoke marijuana to ease their pain. Mr. Rock said he intends to seek their feedback on the regulations.The government has already awarded a contract to Prairie Plant Systems Inc. of Saskatoon to provide a reliable source of affordable marijuana for medical and research purposes. The first supply is expected to be available within a year, although health officials don't know yet whether it will be available through pharmaceutical outlets or through other avenues.Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)Author: Brian LaghiPublished: April 6, 2001Copyright: 2001 The Globe and Mail CompanyContact: letters globeandmail.caWebsite: http://www.globeandmail.ca/Related Articles & Web Site:Prairie Plant Systemshttp://www.prairieplant.com/ Medicinal Pot User Awaits Ottawa's New Rules http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9272.shtmlPrairies Go To Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8092.shtmlFeds Grant $5.75-Million Contract To Company http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8082.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by Wishbone on April 15, 2001 at 18:51:15 PT I'm happy our gov't is finally looking into 'other' alternative therapies, esp. medicinal marijuana. I have HepC, chronic neck and back pain, osteoarthritis and everthing else under the sun. Using alternative treatments is one of God's ways of taking care of us naturally. I have so many prescription pills, why are they legal and an "herb" isn't? Is is because the gov't can't make $$ on it? Without legalization, society makes us victim/criminals. AND....HEMP is SUCH AN ENVIRONMENTAL BLESSING!! It can be used for most ANYTHING! What a way to do something useful for the world, eh? [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by ras james rsifwh on April 06, 2001 at 15:32:16 PT PROVE MY ASS sick people will be given marijuana if they can prove they cannot be helped by other medications. yeah right! Health Department Officials can take an aspirin if they can prove they cannot be helped by Excederine...but of course they cannot take an Excederine until they can prove that they cannot be helped by Tylnol...but waite...hold your horses jerks...Health Department Officials cannot take a Tylnol until they can prove that my ass can't help 'em.Give all praise and thanks to Jah Rastafari for the I-ternal City of the Almighty now reignith on Earth.The Sign being Cannabis Sativa is bearing fruit (achenes) on both sides of the street (in small growrooms) each month of the year..."In case you don't know. Revelation reveals the true revolution." sang bob marley!The Seventh Seal of Cannabis has been opened...Rev 22 1&2. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on April 06, 2001 at 10:22:17 PT I'm Holding My Breath Too Hi Dr. Russo, Every since the Justices said what they did I've been a grumpy person to be around. I'm not a very patient person as far as medical marijuana goes and my patiences is running very thin. My poor husband knows when not to talk to me. LOL! We don't just want medical marijuana legalized, many of us need it. My son was denied MMJ and so was Peter McWilliams and many others. Cannabis is an herb. A good one too. The insanity must stop soon. I understand worrying about Meth etc. but not Cannabis. Our government needs to do something but they just pass the buck. I think they hope they can pass it on so they don't have to make a decision until they are out of office and they won't have to deal with it. Canada acts like America say it does! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Cuzn Buzz on April 06, 2001 at 10:08:27 PT: ME TOO I'm with Doc Russo on the wait and see.I am a bit concerned that the scope of medical usage is far too narrow.What about folks who could replace terrible drugs like elavil, prosac, thorazine, and of host of other zombie creating drugs with marijuana?Personaly I'd like to see marijuana available for medicinal purposes on the same basis as asprin, especialy considering that asprin is a fairly dangerous substance according to the statistics. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on April 06, 2001 at 09:56:06 PT: I'm Holding my Breath I'm holding my breath until tomorrow to see if the Canadian guidelines are as promising as they seem. This could do a great deal to advance reform in the USA, that is if anyone bothers to report it south of the border with the Great White North. Our dogmatic and indefensible Amerikan position is coming under increasing fire, and this development should spur the process along immeasurably. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: