Pubdate: Mon, 03 Jul 2000 Source: North Shore News (CN BC) Copyright: 2000 by the North Shore News Contact: http://www.nsnews.com/ Author: Anna Marie D'Angelo CANCER FIGHT FALLOUT NV Man Stymied In Search For Medicinal Marijuana TOM Wieland is dying of cancer. He doesn't need to deal with government hassle, but he is. The 53-year-old North Vancouver man has a doctor's prescription for medicinal marijuana. Unfortunately that prescription cannot be legally filled. "It is impossible to get a hold of this stuff unless you break the law," said a frustrated Wieland. "I don't smoke it to get high. I smoke it so I don't get sick." Wieland has been fighting cancer for 25 years. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer that spread to a kidney and his urethra. The cancer has now spread to his lungs and bladder. Wieland takes numerous powerful prescription pills. He currently receives cancer treatment that makes him vomit excessively. "I can't even take the damn pills, they keep coming up. Two puffs off a marijuana joint and I'm fine. I can eat. My appetite comes back... This is a wonderful thing to have a little comfort when you are dying," said Wieland. Wieland used marijuana after radiation for testicular cancer. "I know it affected my recovery in that I wasn't so sick that I was melting away," said Wieland. Marijuana is known to increase appetite and reduce feelings of nausea. Wieland sends a relative downtown to "basically break the law for me" every two days and buy marijuana. Wieland is a writer and musician and has children. He used to be in the military and "worked all his life." "For me to go down into the underworld of Granville Street and skulk out little bags of marijuana... people are treated better in Third World countries," said Wieland. He estimates about 60 apparently homeless young people on Granville Street actually sell marijuana at any time of day. The federal government does recognize the benefits of marijuana for medical use. Federal Health minister Allan Rock set up a system for people using medicinal marijuanathat exempts them from drug prosecutions. Health Canada spokesman Roslyn Tremblay said that 52 Canadians have been exempted since June 1999. To get the prosecution exemption, a person must apply to Health Canada and have their doctor's written support. Applications are available on the Internet at Health Canada's Web site. Tremblay said that marijuana is not viewed as a therapeutic product and is therefore not available at a pharmacy or government-approved outlet. Tremblay said "the difficulty" was there is no legal supply of marijuana. "At the moment, each (exempt) individual is very much on their own for supply," said Tremblay. North Vancouver Canadian Alliance MP Ted White said that at some point a person must illegally purchase marijuana in order to legally possess or cultivate it under the exemption. "It looks like a bit of a mess and something that is not well thought out," said White. He added that the situation appeared as another "Allan Rock screwup." "If it is worth doing, there should have been some sort of government supply available," said White. Meanwhile Wieland is waiting to join the Vancouver Compassion Club. The club dispenses small amounts of organic marijuana to sick people. The police are not enforcing drug laws against the group. Wieland does not wish to "live that lifestyle" of growing marijuana plants. - --- MAP posted-by: Eric Ernst