Pubdate: Tue, 04 Sep 2001
Source: Parklander, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2001 Hinton Parklander
Contact:  http://www.hintonparklander.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/782
Author: Ruth Saunders
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

NO PRESCRIBING POT HERE

Although marijuana can now legally be prescribed for certain medical 
purposes, you won't see people lighting up medicinal joints in Hinton any 
time soon.

Doctors have been uneasy about Health Canada's July 4, announcement to 
allow marijuana for medical use through the Marijuana Medical Access 
Regulations. Both the Canadian Medical Association and the Alberta Medical 
Association sent letters to federal Health Minister Allan Rock on the 
subject. Alberta Medical Association (AMA) President Dr. Clayne A. Steed 
also advised Alberta physicians to "think twice" before completing any 
forms for the use of marijuana.

"There is no medical research proving that marijuana works," said Dr. 
Michael Caffaro, a local physician and president of the AMA's section of 
rural medicine for the AMA. "We don't know anything about it, what is it 
used for, how strong is it, what kind of dosing. Those are big reasons why 
I don't think most doctors would prescribe marijuana."

The AMA wrote to Rock about concerns they have: - This method of treatment 
is not evidence-based and has not yet had any rigorous testing regarding 
long-term implications; - There are no clinical practice guidelines in 
place for the medicinal use of marijuana including appropriate dosage; - 
Physicians have no way of knowing product potency (or consistency of same); 
and - They place physicians in an untenable position.

"The bottom line is that there are lots of drugs we can prescribe," said 
Caffaro. "But there are many we don't feel comfortable prescribing because 
we don't know enough about them. I think marijuana fits into that 
category." Caffaro added that general practitioners do have access to 
forms, but he said he hasn't had any patients ask him.

Patients who would like to use marijuana for medical reasons may also have 
other difficulties to overcome. They also need to find an outlet to buy 
medical marijuana from.

"Pharmacists aren't involved in the dispensing of marijuana," said local 
pharmacist Merv Bashforth. "The deal is more of giving people a card saying 
that I'm allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes. The pharmacy is cut 
out of the loop."

Bashforth added that marijuana doesn't have the checks and balances that 
there are for every other drug. "We don't know what the standardized 
process is," said Bashforth. "If I give 20 mg of Prozac, I know how much 
that is. I don't know what marijuana is allowed under the law."

Questions surrounding the medical use of marijuana will continue.

"This is a strange thing, we're charting new territory and the information 
is very foggy," said Bashforth. "I think the minister knows what he's 
trying to do but hasn't figured out how to get it done yet."

According to the new federal regulations, medical marijuana can only be 
used for certain conditions such as nausea, severe pain or weight loss 
caused by cancer, AIDS or HIV infection; persistent muscle spasm caused by 
multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries or disease and seizures caused by 
epilepsy.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager