Pubdate: Thu, 03 Aug 2000 Source: Toronto Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2000 The Toronto Star Contact: One Yonge St., Toronto ON, M5E 1E6 Fax: (416) 869-4322 Website: http://www.thestar.com/ Forum: http://www.thestar.com/editorial/disc_board/ POT ADVOCATES PASS ADVICE TO OTTAWA Montreal (CP) -- People with criminal records shouldn't be excluded from supplying medicinal marijuana, a group that advocates the therapeutic use of pot recommended yesterday. Health Canada should consider the knowledge of long-time growers who may have faced charges for growing marijuana, said Marc-Boris St-Maurice of the Canadian Cannabis Coalition. "Valuable experience in breeding marijuana is lost and nothing is gained by this criteria," St-Maurice told a news conference. Excluding them from supplying marijuana in medical trials to be conducted by Ottawa isn't in the best interests of people who need it, he said. Last year, Health Minister Allan Rock announced Ottawa would gather evidence on the safety and effectiveness of marijuana in treating medical conditions. Rock said the federal government was looking for suppliers of high-grade pot for the trials. The Canadian Cannabis Coalition made public a list of recommendations it will give to Health Canada for the medical trials. Advocates for the medicinal use of marijuana say pot can ease nausea and stimulate appetite in people who suffer from symptoms of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, AIDS and other illnesses. St-Maurice said Rock also has excluded small-scale growers from providing medicinal pot. St-Maurice volunteers at a Montreal centre called the Compassion Club, which provides therapeutic pot to people with chronic illnesses. The centres also operate in Toronto and Vancouver. Patients must have a doctor's prescription to get marijuana. Health Canada has the power to grant exemptions to people who want to use pot for medicinal reasons, but it has only granted about 50 to date. Health Canada wouldn't comment yesterday on the coalition's recommendations. Spokesperson Roslyn Tremblay said Health Canada needs time to review the proposals. The coalition's comments came just two days after the Ontario Court of Appeal declared unconstitutional the law that prohibits possession of marijuana. The court ruled the law fails to recognize that pot can be used for medicinal purposes by people with chronic illnesses. It said if Ottawa doesn't clarify the law within a year, marijuana possession will be legal for anyone in Ontario. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk