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| Feds Get Off on Medical Pot |
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Posted by FoM on July 05, 2001 at 07:45:53 PT By Dick Chapman, Toronto Sun Source: Toronto Sun 
Health Canada will make access to medical marijuana easier after July 30 -- just don't count on doctors getting too high on the idea. Health Minister Allan Rock yesterday released the final set of rules to govern doctors who prescribe pot; illnesses that qualify; growers who can supply the drug and even the potency of the weed. There's still one catch: Patients need approval from a doctor to get medical marijuana -- and that might be tough. As soon as the new rules were announced, the Canadian Medical Association said it "cannot support the regulations at this time and believes most physicians will be reluctant to participate in this process." "I'm not happy until it's legalized," said Terry Parker, whose legal battle to use marijuana for epilepsy led to the regulations. "It's absurd that we have to get special permission from a doctor for marijuana. Why don't they apply the same regulations to alcohol and tobacco, considering they're more harmful?" The CMA said too little is known about marijuana's health effects. CMA officials fears patients may try to use doctors to get recreational grass, long-term use could cause lung disease and heart damage and privately grown pot may be contaminated. Drug Reactions CMA past president Dr. Hugh Scully said he'll raise concerns with Rock about marijuana's safety and unknown interactions with other drugs. If there are bad reactions, doctors could face professional or legal sanctions. Scully also noted that there are no legal restrictions on the potency of privately-grown medical marijuana, although the government brand will be initially set at 5%-6% THC, the active ingredient that produces a high. "The quality is quite variable," Scully said. "That being the case, how do you prescribe the correct dose? Is it one gram? Two grams? Four grams? How often? Doctors are responsible for signing off on people being fit to drive. Where does that fit in?" Scully welcomed a federal plan for continuing research and review of its marijuana access program, but said: "There remains a lack of comprehensive and credible scientific evidence on the benefits of medical marijuana, the known and unknown effects of its use when smoked and the implications of an unregulated supply on the quality, consistency and contamination of the drug." Rock called the regulations "a landmark in our ongoing efforts to give Canadians suffering from grave and debilitating illnesses access to marijuana for medical purposes. "This compassionate measure will improve the quality of life of sick Canadians, particularly those who are terminally ill." Minor Changes Rock made minor changes to his draft regulations -- taking some onus off doctors. As well, a mathematical formula on growing limits was changed to reflect indoor/outdoor yields, and a six-month grace was granted to about 210 current holders of temporary marijuana-use permits. Note: Ottawa makes it easier for sick people to get marijuana -- provided their doctors agree. Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON) Related Articles & Web Site: Health Canada Canadian Links Canada Unveils Regulation for Use of Marijuana Federal Regulations On Medicinal Pot Rock Announces Medical Marijuana Regulations Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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Comment #1 posted by Jose Melendez on July 05, 2001 at 09:13:46 PT:
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| Here is the letter I sent to the editor: To: editor@sunpub.com Sir, I could barely suppress the laughter as I researched the details of your story, "Feds get off on Medical Pot", which was posted at: http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoNews/ts.ts-07-05-0051.html The most amusing part was that the doctor quoted in your article, Hugh Scully has a history of supporting tobacco and alcohol funded sports events, and at the same time is willing to publicly denounce Cannabis, as if there were any valid safety concerns. Cannabis activists know that media often ignores peer reviewed studies that show, with repeatable results, that drivers are actually safer when slightly "under the influence" of marijuana than sober people. One of those studies actually found an "unexpectedly higher verbal intelligence quotient." We also know that studies have shown since the mid seventies that cannabinoids are effective in shrinking tumors. There is no record in human history of any deaths due to overconsumption of the herb, but still, certain individuals take it upon themselves to claim that there is some sort of harm that will come to humans if they are allowed to legally smoke pot. Please set the record straight: 1. Globally, any problems associated with health and safety or unsafe drug interactions are almost exclusively associated with legal drugs, such as nicotine, alcohol, over the counter and prescription drugs, even caffeine can be responsible for physiological problems... 2. Anyone who says otherwise usually has some vested interest in maintaining the status quo; see this link among the many online that demonstrate the hypocrisy of Dr. Hugh Scully's comments: 3. Stronger marijunana is unquestionably safer when smoked than low-THC content Cannabis. Humans generally self-titrate doses, therefore the stronger the pot, the less benzene, benzopyrene, toluene and carbon monoxide generated due to combustion. Also, most media and anti-marijuana statements completely ignore vaporization techniques, which almost completely eliminate those by-products. 4. Thousands of years of history prove the safety and effectiveness of Cannabis. From ancient Chinese medical texts and the Christian Bible to U.S. historical figures George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and even Henry Ford; Cannabis has been praised and used safely, as incense, food, medicine, clothing, rope, fuel and even automobile parts. To suggest that Cannabis use is unsafe is ludicrous at best, at worst, it is intentional misinformation and a grave disservice to the public at large. (202) 777-2644 x7545 - voicemail/fax [ Post Comment ] |
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