Pubdate: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 Source: National Post (Canada) Copyright: 2013 Canwest Publishing Inc. Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/wEtbT4yU Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286 Author: David Saul Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n406/a01.html OUR MEDICAL POT RULES: 'A SHAM AND A SHAME' Re: A Doctor's Duty With Medical Pot, letter to the editor, Aug. 14. The comments about medical marijuana made by Robert Ianiro, the non-MD director general, Controlled Substances and Tobacco directorate at health Canada, perhaps require some clarification. 1) The issue of home-growing will soon be over for good and all related crimes, dangers, fears will disappear. 2) Patients have always used med pot for medical purposes and will continue to do so, with or without the MD's blessing, or even knowledge. 3) The cost of the product (via licenced "dealers") will be high, likely too high for the system to ever become workable. The cost will continue to be on a cash-paying basis, with 75% of patients being poor, without financial access. 4) The Canadian Medical Association was never and is still not supportive of Marijuana Medical Access regulations (MMAR) or the new Marijuana for Medical Purposes regulations. 5) After almost 12 years of MMAR, all we have to show for a made-in-Canada med pot program is: a sham and a shame. Dr. David Saul (med pot authorizer 2009-2012), Toronto. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom