Pubdate: Tue, 15 Jul 2014
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Page: A7
Copyright: 2014 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/letters.html
Website: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Jordan Press

VETERANS' MARIJUANA PROGRAM PUT IN DOUBT

Minister Reviewing Policy

Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino has yet to decide the future
of his department's medical marijuana program, including whether the
benefits the government provides veterans should be capped.

A proposal to do so has been in front of Fantino for just over a
month. The department recommended setting upper limits for veterans
who are on the pot program of five grams per day and $9 per gram.

Only a handful of Canada's veterans receive help from the government
to pay for medical marijuana: about 188 in the last 12 months,
according to Veterans Affairs.

But it is almost triple the number of veterans who were in the program
in 2012.

Any cap could become another flashpoint between the Conservatives and
veterans who feel the government isn't taking care of them.

"With the changes, if they do go through, it's not going to affect the
old veterans because they're not using marijuana. It's the new veteran
that's using it. If they do come in with these caps, it's major
anxiety," said retired corporal Ryan Edwards, who uses marijuana for
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and pain from a back injury.

Edwards said he started using marijuana while still serving, turned on
to it by a fellow soldier.

The 38-year-old said he has reduced his dosage from 20 grams a day to
10 grams, but isn't looking forward to Veterans Affairs possibly
cutting his coverage to five grams a day.

Internal briefing notes outline the department's belief based on
medical research that five grams a day is enough "for the treatment of
pain based on observed consumption and effect."

If Veterans Affairs won't cover the costs of marijuana for medical
purposes, Edwards said he worries veterans may "go to the street to
get their marijuana."

In April, Health Canada changed the rules for the use of marijuana for
medicinal purposes.

Rather than the government approving requests for medical marijuana,
it was left to doctors to prescribe it and patients to purchase it
from licensed growers.

That change meant that Veterans Affairs no longer purchased marijuana
from Health Canada. Rather than a fixed cost, Veterans Affairs will be
subject to market prices - just as the number of veterans applying for
marijuana benefits increases.

In late April, department officials recommended limits.

"Minister Fantino will take the necessary time and care to review the
Veterans Affair marijuana policy, however at this time no decision has
been taken," spokesman David Pierce said Monday.

Pierce said the minister "believes smoking and using marijuana
represents a serious health risk and can be harmful to health.

"Furthermore it is not an approved drug or medicine in Canada and
Health Canada does not endorse or promote its use."

Most provincial regulatory bodies caution their members about
prescribing marijuana, while Quebec limits prescriptions to research
projects.

Much of that has to do with what the Canadian Medical Association
argues isn't enough research to show how much marijuana is a safe
amount for a patient to take.

Edwards and other veterans who use marijuana swear by its
efficacy.

"You just can't have bureaucrats arguing with the doctors who
prescribe medicine," said Ian Bailey, a veteran whose 20 grams a day
to deal with PTSD is currently covered by Veterans Affairs.

"If my doctor thought I was abusing my medication, she wouldn't sign
my licence."  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D