T
The420Guy
Guest
It's become mandatory for pundits, when writing about the federal
government's pot policy, to make the once humorous but now cliche "What have
the Liberals been smoking?" joke.
But it's understandable. The latest head-scratcher is Health Canada's
forthcoming user's manual on medicinal marijuana that reportedly instructs
those who have access to the prescription pot not to smoke it!
"Administration by smoking is not recommended," says the 59-page document.
And a Health Canada official said, "We're not recommending, in fact, that
marijuana be used."
This follows on the heels of the feds' sensible decriminalization of
marijuana that will still punish people for possessing up to 15 grams of
pot, but will spare them a criminal record.
What was ironic about that was the whole push for legalized pot originated
from chronically ill folks who wanted access to medicinal pot but didn't
want to risk a criminal record. But there was nothing in May's proposed pot
law changes (that still have to actually be passed into law) that addressed
the medicinal marijuana issue per se.
The Grits tried to alleviate that problem earlier this month by announcing
that the government was in the marijuana business, and would sell bags of
pot and seeds to sick patients who qualify under Ottawa's medicinal
marijuana program.
The ink was barely dry on the press release when the Canadian Medical
Association urged its doctors not to become drug dealers for the feds. The
CMA said it didn't support Ottawa's medicinal pot program for many reasons,
including the lack of clinical evidence of its efficacy -- though anecdotal
evidence is immense.
The feds might have been able to produce their own study on the usefulness
of medicinal pot, but it's since been reported that Health Minister Anne
McLellan shut down a $2-million study on medicinal pot that included
clinical trials.
Following this? The Grits propose to decriminalize pot possession, but add
more penalties to growing, then grow their own and propose selling it to
sick patients, who likely won't be able to get it from their doctors and
even if they do, are being instructed by the same government that gave them
the pot not to use it!
All that said, we're actually cutting the Liberals a bit of slack on this
front, because the Grits are merely reacting to judicial rulings demanding
changes in the pot laws.
It's no surprise the Liberals have come up with a confusing and
contradictory cannabis policy when the direction is being set by the courts.
Pubdate: Saturday, July 26, 2003
Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)
Contact: cal-letters@calgarysun.com
Website: Under Construction fyicalgary.com
government's pot policy, to make the once humorous but now cliche "What have
the Liberals been smoking?" joke.
But it's understandable. The latest head-scratcher is Health Canada's
forthcoming user's manual on medicinal marijuana that reportedly instructs
those who have access to the prescription pot not to smoke it!
"Administration by smoking is not recommended," says the 59-page document.
And a Health Canada official said, "We're not recommending, in fact, that
marijuana be used."
This follows on the heels of the feds' sensible decriminalization of
marijuana that will still punish people for possessing up to 15 grams of
pot, but will spare them a criminal record.
What was ironic about that was the whole push for legalized pot originated
from chronically ill folks who wanted access to medicinal pot but didn't
want to risk a criminal record. But there was nothing in May's proposed pot
law changes (that still have to actually be passed into law) that addressed
the medicinal marijuana issue per se.
The Grits tried to alleviate that problem earlier this month by announcing
that the government was in the marijuana business, and would sell bags of
pot and seeds to sick patients who qualify under Ottawa's medicinal
marijuana program.
The ink was barely dry on the press release when the Canadian Medical
Association urged its doctors not to become drug dealers for the feds. The
CMA said it didn't support Ottawa's medicinal pot program for many reasons,
including the lack of clinical evidence of its efficacy -- though anecdotal
evidence is immense.
The feds might have been able to produce their own study on the usefulness
of medicinal pot, but it's since been reported that Health Minister Anne
McLellan shut down a $2-million study on medicinal pot that included
clinical trials.
Following this? The Grits propose to decriminalize pot possession, but add
more penalties to growing, then grow their own and propose selling it to
sick patients, who likely won't be able to get it from their doctors and
even if they do, are being instructed by the same government that gave them
the pot not to use it!
All that said, we're actually cutting the Liberals a bit of slack on this
front, because the Grits are merely reacting to judicial rulings demanding
changes in the pot laws.
It's no surprise the Liberals have come up with a confusing and
contradictory cannabis policy when the direction is being set by the courts.
Pubdate: Saturday, July 26, 2003
Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)
Contact: cal-letters@calgarysun.com
Website: Under Construction fyicalgary.com
