Pubdate: Sun, 15 Jun 2014
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact: http://www.edmontonsun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.edmontonsun.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135
Author: Jessica Hume
Page: 18
Referenced: Regulations Amending the Narcotic Control Regulations and 
the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (Communication of 
Information): 
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2014/2014-06-14/html/reg1-eng.php

WHAT ARE FEDS SMOKING?

Medical Marijuana Group Says Oversight Changes Not Needed

OTTAWA - A medical marijuana group says the additional oversight 
measures proposed by the government this week are "redundant" and 
previous changes to the federal marijuana program already 
dramatically reduced its susceptibility to abuse.

Earlier this year, the feds introduced a major overhaul of the 
medical marijuana regime, eliminating licences to grow one's own.

Since the new system was rolled out April 1, Health Canada has 
received thousands of applications for medical marijuana production licences.

According to the Health Canada website, 13 licences have been awarded to date.

Prior to the overhaul, Health Canada complained that licences were 
abused, with growers exceeding their limits and selling the extra 
product outside the law.

Adam Greenblatt of the Montreal-based Medical Cannabis Access Society 
says taking away individuals' right to grow their own has greatly 
diminished opportunities for abuse.

"I don't see much room for abuse in the system," Greenblatt told QMI 
Agency in an interview Saturday. "You can't get a licence to grow 
your own, so you can't grow extra."

Last week, Health Minister Rona Ambrose proposed amendments to the 
existing system that require licensed medical marijuana producers to 
regularly report to provincial regulatory authorities what doctors 
are prescribing how much marijuana and to whom.

Greenblatt doesn't approve.

"It 's redundant because in Saskatchewan, Alberta, in Quebec there 
are already provisions at the provincial level that force the doctors 
to report that information," he said. "And the effect on the patient 
is not good because this scares more physicians out of wanting to prescribe."

Greenblatt says one solution is specialized medical marijuana clinics 
that understand how to navigate the increasingly complicated regulatory regime.

"Clinics that specialize in cannabis medicine across Canada, that can 
handle the complex administrative stuff that goes along with the new 
regulations."

The proposed amendments are published in the Canada Gazette - the 
publication of proposed laws - and the period for public comment ends July 13.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom