HTTP/1.0 200 OK Content-Type: text/html Dosanjh Should Do The Decent Thing 
Pubdate: Mon, 16 Aug 2004
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2004 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

DOSANJH SHOULD DO THE DECENT THING

Speaking of misguided drug policies, Canada's health minister, Ujjal 
Dosanjh, needs to rethink the federal government's approach to medical 
marijuana. In particular, he should ask himself why his department is 
prepared to defy an appeals court ruling just so he can keep a private 
company from providing approved health services to Canadians.

Last October, the Ontario Court of Appeal struck down three regulations on 
who can grow medicinal marijuana, including one that said a licensed grower 
can't grow for more than one licensed user. As we pointed out on this page 
recently, that lasted until December, when Health Canada decided to bring 
that rule back, on the grounds that the court ruling was only "useful 
guidance."

In the two months that the health department was following the court 
ruling, however, it gave licences to two growers under the conditions set 
out by the judges. So, somewhere in Canada, two growers are licensed to 
produce marijuana for a total of six users, contrary to the post-December 
rules.

Eric Nash of Island Harvest Certified Organic Marijuana says he, through 
his company, is one of them. He and his wife grow organic B.C. bud on 
Vancouver Island and supply people in Ontario. All of them will be out of 
luck come October, when licences come up for renewal.

Health Canada is unapologetic: no matter what the judges said, it insists 
that licensed growers could be enticed by the lure of the black market to 
sell pot there. This conveniently ignores another of the judges' findings: 
that the black market thrives despite government attempts to shut it down 
(see editorial above). If Mr. Dosanjh cares much about constitutional 
order, he should instruct his department to obey the court and loosen the 
marijuana rules.
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