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The420Guy
Guest
Canada:
Ottawa Will Grow, Supply Pot For Use By
The Sick: Rock
National Post, September 25 2000
By Luiza Chwialkowska
Health Canada Will Select Official Supplier Soon
Allan Rock, the federal Minister of Health, says, "The day may come
when marijuana is available on pharmacists' shelves."
OTTAWA - A government-controlled supply of marijuana will be
grown and federal regulations governing medicinal use will be made into
law within a year, according to Allan Rock, the Minister of Health.
The day may come when marijuana is available on pharmacists'
shelves," predicted Mr. Rock in an interview.
Health Canada will select an official marijuana supplier over the next
month or two and the supply will be available depending on "how long
after that it will take them to produce the first crop, dry it, cut it, and
[laughs] ... roll it," he said.
While the department develops its supply, Mr. Rock has appealed to
police to "use discretion" when dealing with people who supply
marijuana to medical users.
Mr. Rock is also eager for a Cabinet discussion decriminalizing
possession of small amounts of marijuana, he said.
But the debate must be launched by Anne McLellan, the Minister of
Justice.
There's no doubt that it's something she and I should talk about. And
Cabinet would probably want to be involved in the decision. But we look
to the Minister of Justice to take the lead in relation to the question of
whether any offence should be added to the Contraventions Act," said
Mr. Rock.
I'd be happy to participate fully in a vigorous Cabinet discussion on that
issue -- whenever she brings that to the table," he said.
The Contraventions Act is a federal statute that lists provincial and
federal offences that are dealt with by tickets and fines, rather than
criminal charges.
Think of the difference between being charged with speeding, or being
charged with dangerous driving," said Mr. Rock.
The issue is should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be
subject to a ticketable offence rather than criminal charges?
We're watching an evolution here from complete prohibition," he said.
Maybe someday [recreational users] will be given a ticket."
A spokeswoman for Ms. McLellan has said the Justice Minister
considers marijuana policy to be a matter of health policy.
Having served for four years as the Attorney-General of Canada, I can
tell you that is an issue for the Attorney-General of Canada and the
Minister of Justice," said Mr. Rock.
To date, Mr. Rock has granted 72 exemptions to patients suffering from
AIDS, cancer, epilepsy, and other conditions doctors believe can be
helped by the drug.
But the Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that without formal rules, the
process is too arbitrary, secretive, and allows Mr. Rock too much
discretion.
What the court said to us is we shouldn't innovate. We shouldn't just
play it by ear ... Carve it into law so everybody knows where they
stand," he said.
At this time next year, there will be a set of regulations on the shelf that
will spell out who is allowed to apply for medical marijuana, how the
application is made, what the requirements are, what the criteria are that
the minister must take into account in deciding, how and within what
period of time the minister will communicate a decision," he said.
And within a year, if you are granted an exemption for medical
marijuana, you will be able to collect it from Health Canada. It will be
clear, consistent quality," Mr. Rock said.
And by this time next year, clinical trials will be within full swing and we
will be accumulating scientific evidence about the comparative medical
implications of smoking marijuana for the alleviation of symptoms in the
alleviation of chronic and other diseases."
Mr. Rock said that no patient whose application showed they could
benefit from marijuana has been rejected.
Not so much rejected, but some people's applications were not
complete. We had a lot of one-page letters from people saying, 'Please
send me dope.' Those did not make the cut," he said.
Will the day ever come when it's available on pharmacists' shelves?"
asked Mr. Rock. "Marinol, a pill form of THC, is already available on
druggists' shelves. So the day may come," he said.
I think these are all mechanical consequences that follow from a basic
decision: Are you going to let someone in pain have access to a drug
they think will alleviate it?" he asked. "Yes, we've decided that."
There was never a good answer as to why it wasn't medically
available," added Mr. Rock.
My mother was on morphine for a month before she died, and yet
morphine is considered a prohibited drug. It's criminalized, people traffic
in it and go to jail, and yet the doctor prescribed it and we had it in the
room. She died at home, and we had it in the house."
sonnyboy
Ottawa Will Grow, Supply Pot For Use By
The Sick: Rock
National Post, September 25 2000
By Luiza Chwialkowska
Health Canada Will Select Official Supplier Soon
Allan Rock, the federal Minister of Health, says, "The day may come
when marijuana is available on pharmacists' shelves."
OTTAWA - A government-controlled supply of marijuana will be
grown and federal regulations governing medicinal use will be made into
law within a year, according to Allan Rock, the Minister of Health.
The day may come when marijuana is available on pharmacists'
shelves," predicted Mr. Rock in an interview.
Health Canada will select an official marijuana supplier over the next
month or two and the supply will be available depending on "how long
after that it will take them to produce the first crop, dry it, cut it, and
[laughs] ... roll it," he said.
While the department develops its supply, Mr. Rock has appealed to
police to "use discretion" when dealing with people who supply
marijuana to medical users.
Mr. Rock is also eager for a Cabinet discussion decriminalizing
possession of small amounts of marijuana, he said.
But the debate must be launched by Anne McLellan, the Minister of
Justice.
There's no doubt that it's something she and I should talk about. And
Cabinet would probably want to be involved in the decision. But we look
to the Minister of Justice to take the lead in relation to the question of
whether any offence should be added to the Contraventions Act," said
Mr. Rock.
I'd be happy to participate fully in a vigorous Cabinet discussion on that
issue -- whenever she brings that to the table," he said.
The Contraventions Act is a federal statute that lists provincial and
federal offences that are dealt with by tickets and fines, rather than
criminal charges.
Think of the difference between being charged with speeding, or being
charged with dangerous driving," said Mr. Rock.
The issue is should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be
subject to a ticketable offence rather than criminal charges?
We're watching an evolution here from complete prohibition," he said.
Maybe someday [recreational users] will be given a ticket."
A spokeswoman for Ms. McLellan has said the Justice Minister
considers marijuana policy to be a matter of health policy.
Having served for four years as the Attorney-General of Canada, I can
tell you that is an issue for the Attorney-General of Canada and the
Minister of Justice," said Mr. Rock.
To date, Mr. Rock has granted 72 exemptions to patients suffering from
AIDS, cancer, epilepsy, and other conditions doctors believe can be
helped by the drug.
But the Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that without formal rules, the
process is too arbitrary, secretive, and allows Mr. Rock too much
discretion.
What the court said to us is we shouldn't innovate. We shouldn't just
play it by ear ... Carve it into law so everybody knows where they
stand," he said.
At this time next year, there will be a set of regulations on the shelf that
will spell out who is allowed to apply for medical marijuana, how the
application is made, what the requirements are, what the criteria are that
the minister must take into account in deciding, how and within what
period of time the minister will communicate a decision," he said.
And within a year, if you are granted an exemption for medical
marijuana, you will be able to collect it from Health Canada. It will be
clear, consistent quality," Mr. Rock said.
And by this time next year, clinical trials will be within full swing and we
will be accumulating scientific evidence about the comparative medical
implications of smoking marijuana for the alleviation of symptoms in the
alleviation of chronic and other diseases."
Mr. Rock said that no patient whose application showed they could
benefit from marijuana has been rejected.
Not so much rejected, but some people's applications were not
complete. We had a lot of one-page letters from people saying, 'Please
send me dope.' Those did not make the cut," he said.
Will the day ever come when it's available on pharmacists' shelves?"
asked Mr. Rock. "Marinol, a pill form of THC, is already available on
druggists' shelves. So the day may come," he said.
I think these are all mechanical consequences that follow from a basic
decision: Are you going to let someone in pain have access to a drug
they think will alleviate it?" he asked. "Yes, we've decided that."
There was never a good answer as to why it wasn't medically
available," added Mr. Rock.
My mother was on morphine for a month before she died, and yet
morphine is considered a prohibited drug. It's criminalized, people traffic
in it and go to jail, and yet the doctor prescribed it and we had it in the
room. She died at home, and we had it in the house."
sonnyboy