Two Leading Canadian Papers
Editorialize In Favor of Medical Marijuana;
Maybe We Should Start Smuggling Canadian Newspapers into DEAland.
They Actually Report What Is Going On!
See
Canadian Health
Minister Proposes "Clinical Trials" For Medical Marijuana;
Promises Immediate Access For Some Individuals.
"He doesn’t want a restrictive process that would deny access in compassionate
cases."
-- 2 ArticlesRELIEF IN SIGHT
March 5, 1999
From The Toronto Star
Editorials and Opinion
lettertoed@thestar.com
http://www.thestar.com/
(Marijuananews note: These are really excellent. Given the media
blackout on medical marijuana in DEAland, maybe we should smuggle in Canadian newspapers.
I understand that they are so potent that you can trade them pound for pound for DEAland
magazines, or something like that.)
Denying marijuana to desperately ill people in order to keep it
out of the hands of recreational users is both absurd and inhumane.
Parliament has finally recognized that. This week, Health Minister Allan Rock, prodded
by the Bloc Quebecois, authorized clinical trials to determine the therapeutic benefits of
the drug.
It shouldn’t have taken decades of pleading, lobbying and covert lawbreaking on
the part of doctors, caregivers and those suffering from cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis,
epilepsy and other chronic diseases to win this small show of compassion from
Canada’s lawmakers.
It shouldn’t have taken the federal government 15 months to
respond to a clear signal from the courts.
See
Canadian Health
Minister Owes Medical Marijuana Activist Wakeford
"An Apology And Canadians An Explanation"
In December of 1997, Ontario Judge Patrick Sheppard ruled that "it does not accord
with fundamental justice to criminalize a person suffering from a serious chronic medical
disability for possessing a vitally helpful substance not legally available in
Canada."
It shouldn’t have taken the criminalization of sick people such as Terry Parker of
Toronto, who uses marijuana to ease his epileptic seizures, or Mark Crossley of Nova
Scotia, who uses the drug to cope with the headaches caused by his brain tumour, to bring
about this change.
See
The Lancet reports on the
Terry Parker case."Canadian Judge Allows Marijuana as Therapy"
and
Canadian With
Terminal Brain Cancer Will Ignore Court Order Not To Use Marijuana.
"None of you understand. You can’t make decisions about my health.
I’m the one that’s sick, not you."
Rock deserves credit for breaking the logjam. He wisely decided to set guidelines for
the medical use and distribution of marijuana before allowing its widespread use. All that
exists now is anedoctal evidence that it alleviates certain types of suffering. Virtually
nothing is known about its side effects.
The Reform party is warning that Rock is opening the door to the legalization of
marijuana.
The health minister denies that he has any such intention. But
even if his decision leads to changes in Canada’s drug laws, it would be the right
thing to do.
Sick people should not be punished because healthy people
like smoking dope.
Copyright: 1999, The Toronto Star
HIGH TIME FOR POT STUDY
March 7, 1999
From The Ottawa Sun
editor@sunpub.com
http://www.canoe.ca/OttawaSun/
http://www.canoe.ca/Chat/home.html
(Marijuananews note: The other Ottawa paper, The Citizen, has
long been very anti-prohibitionist.)
Surely, it’s the height of arrogance for society to deny help to a chronically
sick or terminally ill person, even if that help is found in an otherwise illegal
substance like marijuana.
For that reason, the Chretien government’s decision to launch clinical trials to
determine whether pot really does provide relief to people suffering from AIDS, multiple
sclerosis and a host of other ailments is long overdue.
But giving ill people access to an otherwise illegal product is easier in theory than
in practice.
After all, there has never been a clinical study on the merits of using booze for
medicinal purposes.
What if there was?
Would we, based on the results of such a study, consider making alcohol accessible to
minors who suffer horrendous afflictions?
Probably not.
There are just too many public prohibitions surrounding the issue of alcohol and minors
to let medical issues prevail.
Health Minister Allan Rock will therefore have to walk a minefield of tricky issues
before ever giving its blessing to the medicinal use of marijuana.
First, clinical trials may or may not match anecdotal evidence that has already
accumulated from ill people who find marijuana gives them a measure of relief from their
pain and, in some instances, boosts appetites for people otherwise unable to eat.
But even if tests fail to make the medical case for dispensing
pot, it won’t stop its use by people who are convinced otherwise and who are prepared
to run afoul of the criminal code to gain continued access to the drug.
If clinical trials find merit in dispensing the drug, who will qualify?
How will it be dispensed?
How will the government ensure a safe and sufficient supply of a drug that is otherwise
illegal to grow and possess in this country?
Will it be left to any doctor to decide the merits of dispensing pot?
If so, will it be handled by pharmacies or street corner dealers?
Will patients be licensed to grow pot for their own use even though their neighbour
would be thrown in jail for doing the same thing?
The historic importance of the government’s decision to
study and possibly approve the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is that it may be
the first step in erasing the public stigma surrounding pot, something that may eventually
lead to its broader legalization.
Perhaps Rock should expand the clinical trials beyond the health benefits of pot to
include research on the health hazards for otherwise healthy Canadians.
After all, if the government is prepared to revisit pot laws as they affect ill people,
maybe it’s time to revisit the case for continuing to make it illegal for everybody
else.
If the government insists on continuing to put people in jail for marijuana, the
least it can do is back it up with sound medical evidence.
Here’s the chance to do it.
Copyright: 1999, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Supported