Pubdate: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 Source: Kitchener-Waterloo Record (CN ON) Copyright: 2002 Kitchener-Waterloo Record Contact: http://www.therecord.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/225 POT POLICY UNSTEADY The Record The dustup between Health Minister Anne McLellan and her predecessor, Allan Rock, over the issue of the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes has left the government's policy shrouded in political smoke. McLellan, who inherited Rock's Health portfolio and his policies on medicinal marijuana, is balking at releasing government-grown marijuana for the use of chronically ill Canadians until clinical trials are done on the effects of marijuana use. Far be it for us to be flippant, but it seems many of the effects of marijuana, medicinally and otherwise, are well known. If Canadian clinical trials are not available -- and it is questionable whether they are necessary in all cases -- trials and studies from other jurisdictions are. We sympathize with McLellan in that she keeps hitting cleanup for Rock (she followed him in the Justice Department after his gun legislation was implemented) but it appears her call is an unnecessary delaying tactic. The tragedy is that the delay is affecting hundreds of vulnerable, ill Canadians who can legally use the drug but cannot get it from a legal supplier. Rock's policy to contract with a firm to produce large quantities of the drug under government control was an effort to get around the problem of legal users being forced to buy marijuana on the street. That policy makes sense. Rock has raised the issue that his colleague may be bowing, in part, to U.S. drug officials who are opposed to the Canadian government controlling the supply of medicinal marijuana. If that is the case, McLellan is wrong. The last nation that Canada should take advice from on drug policy is the U.S. Summary - Delay on marijuana decision affects the vulnerable. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom