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The420Guy
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Representatives from Canada's largest compassion clubs yesterday said Health
Canada's committee studying medical marijuana exists for political, and not
health care, reasons.
After extensive lobbying, two compassion club representatives won an invitation
to address the committee, which met yesterday in Montreal. Although dubious of
the committee's goals, one of the compassions clubs' recommendations is that
they be given a permanent seat on the committee.
"The Compassion Clubs are stakeholders in the development of these
regulations -
we have been successfully providing cannabis to ill Canadians for over 6 years
with no government involvement," said Hilary Black, founder of the British
Columbia Compassion Club Society. "Members of that committee are deeply
invested
in the status quo of prohibition, and are influiencing the creation of these
regulations which cater to prohibition, not to the healthcare agenda."
Black and members of compassion clubs in Toronto, Montreal and on Vancouver
Island also urged Health Canada's committee to adopt a more transparent
approach, to decentralize regulation, and to give amnesty to all currently
involved in the compassion club movement.
"We have been and will continue to be spending precious resources battling the
government in courts rather than providing access to medicinal cannabis," said
Black, who noted that Vancouver and Nelson are the only clubs that haven't gone
to the courts.
Health Canada spokesperson Jirina Vlk said the committee's members do not
represent groups and offer their expertise as independent members.
"A Compassion Club representative would be a very different thing," she said.
The committee was not officially discussing giving Compassion Clubs a spot, but
Vlk said the issue could still be raised at a round table discussion.
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Contact letters@thegazette.southam.ca
Website: Canada.Com
Forum: https://forums.canada.com/~montreal/
Address: 250 St. Antoine St. W., Montreal, Quebec H2Y 3R7 Canada
Fax: (514) 987-2639
Copyright: 2003 The Gazette, a division of Southam
Author: John McFarlane
Pubdate: May 13, 2003
Webpage:
Canada.Com
Canada's committee studying medical marijuana exists for political, and not
health care, reasons.
After extensive lobbying, two compassion club representatives won an invitation
to address the committee, which met yesterday in Montreal. Although dubious of
the committee's goals, one of the compassions clubs' recommendations is that
they be given a permanent seat on the committee.
"The Compassion Clubs are stakeholders in the development of these
regulations -
we have been successfully providing cannabis to ill Canadians for over 6 years
with no government involvement," said Hilary Black, founder of the British
Columbia Compassion Club Society. "Members of that committee are deeply
invested
in the status quo of prohibition, and are influiencing the creation of these
regulations which cater to prohibition, not to the healthcare agenda."
Black and members of compassion clubs in Toronto, Montreal and on Vancouver
Island also urged Health Canada's committee to adopt a more transparent
approach, to decentralize regulation, and to give amnesty to all currently
involved in the compassion club movement.
"We have been and will continue to be spending precious resources battling the
government in courts rather than providing access to medicinal cannabis," said
Black, who noted that Vancouver and Nelson are the only clubs that haven't gone
to the courts.
Health Canada spokesperson Jirina Vlk said the committee's members do not
represent groups and offer their expertise as independent members.
"A Compassion Club representative would be a very different thing," she said.
The committee was not officially discussing giving Compassion Clubs a spot, but
Vlk said the issue could still be raised at a round table discussion.
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Contact letters@thegazette.southam.ca
Website: Canada.Com
Forum: https://forums.canada.com/~montreal/
Address: 250 St. Antoine St. W., Montreal, Quebec H2Y 3R7 Canada
Fax: (514) 987-2639
Copyright: 2003 The Gazette, a division of Southam
Author: John McFarlane
Pubdate: May 13, 2003
Webpage:
Canada.Com
