Pubdate: Tue, 15 Apr 2014
Source: Parksville Qualicum Beach News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Black Press
Contact:  http://www.pqbnews.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1361
Author: Candace Wu
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

DOCTORS PUT IN TOUGH SPOT

Changing Medical Marijuana Regulations Have Left Users in a Smoky 
State of Mind and Doctors Fuming With Rage.

Initially, new Health Canada legislation was supposed to put an end 
to home grown pot productions directing nearly 40,000 medical 
marijuana users to buy their green from large-scale commercial 
operations with a prescription-like document from their doctor.

But a last minute federal court injunction March 21 halted Health 
Canada's plan providing temporary reprieve to users - many of whom 
feared they wouldn't be able to afford the new system. Health Canada 
responded by issuing a news release stating they intend on appealing 
the court's order.

However, amidst the haze of political gridlock between the federal 
government, federal court and licence-holding medical marijuana users 
at least one thing is clear: British Columbian physicians are outraged.

"It completely shifts the onus of liability (on physicians)," Doctors 
of B.C. president-elect Bill Cavers told The NEWS in a phone 
interview recently from Victoria.

"We're being dumped in the middle of this expedite."

Cavers said under the old system patients applied to the medical 
marijuana program through Health Canada with a signature from their 
doctor to acknowledge they knew the patient was using pot for medical purposes.

"The new regulations are totally different," said Cavers, explaining 
the changes would see doctors essentially become "gatekeepers" of 
medical marijuana while Health Canada's role becomes more obsolete.

"Physicians are now being asked to provide a medication (marijuana) 
with no support or training," said Cavers, adding Health Canada has 
not conducted any studies validating the use of medical pot. "Every 
other prescription drug has to go through rigorous testing from 
Health Canada (before it's available to patients), why is marijuana 
exempt from that?"

Cavers said regardless of his personal opinions on pot, "if it's 
going to be a medical product there should be the same due diligence 
to it that is applied to every other prescription drug."

He is calling for guidelines from Health Canada.

"We (physicians) want more evaluation on medical marijuana as a 
treatment for conditions: when it should be used, when it shouldn't 
be used, dosage and long term effects."

Cavers said physicians represent high quality patient care.

"We want to do our patients well, we want people to get the treatment 
they need, we want to keep people safe and we are not being given the 
tools we need to make those decisions," he said. "Actual data is 
woefully absent."

When asked how he sees the future of medical marijuana, Cavers didn't 
sound optimistic.

"The net result will be a reduction in access to this product because 
physicians will be reluctant to take on the liability," he said. 
"It's a free for all right now and physicians are smack in the middle 
of a debate."

Dana Larsen, director of Sensible B.C. said the new regulations put 
doctors in an "awkward" position.

"A lot of doctors don't want to get involved," said Larsen. "They 
don't necessarily want to become "the pot doctor" and moreover 
doctors don't prescribe plants -it's just not what they do."

As a result, Larsen said he is seeing a lot of "profiteering" pop up 
through clinics specializing in access to marijuana such as the 
web-based Do No Harm Clinic.

Do No Harm Clinic's webpage states: "Even if your own physician is 
uncomfortable with Medical Marijuana, we can still help. A referral 
is not required." Larsen said clinics like this are "profitable as 
they are allowed to charge an administrative fee." Do No Harm Clinic 
charges $35 per month. "I recommend this website to people who ask me 
for options," said Larsen. "It can be great for some people but 
extremely costly for others."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom