POT AS A MEDICINE NEEDS MORE STUDY

In the weird world of politics, policy changes can happen so fast that a
government once accused of going too slowly is subsequently accused of
moving too quickly.

A case in point is the federal government's new regulations about the
medicinal use of marijuana. Until recently, possessing the drug for any
purpose could result in a criminal conviction. Then, after the courts got
involved in the debate, convictions for using the drug for medical purposes
were unlikely.

Nevertheless, there was no proper system to supply a product that the
courts had become reluctant to ban in an indiscriminate manner. An Ontario
judge tried to bring some consistency to this bizarre process by requiring
the federal government to produce regulations clarifying the marijuana law
within a year. Those regulations came into effect yesterday.

The new rules let doctors prescribe marijuana to patients who are
terminally ill, have symptoms associated with specific conditions or have
ailments that have not responded to conventional treatment. In the latter
case, the consent of two doctors is needed.

The problem is that from a medical viewpoint, far too little clinical
research has been done on marijuana. This is not surprising considering
that the drug has been illegal until now. Even so, this means that Canadian
physicians lack the type of solid information they need before they feel
confident prescribing a new drug.

The Alberta Medical Association has warned its members to be cautious about
prescribing marijuana. It is also worried that fraudulent forms could be
used to get the drug. As well, the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine
has warned that there may be more risk than benefit in using marijuana for
medicinal purposes.

Marijuana does not come onto the market as most drugs do. It has a history
as a so-called recreational drug. Its reputation means that some "patients"
might see it as akin to the old-time prescription for whisky as a cure for
countless ailments. The truth may be exaggerated with each drop.

To its credit, the federal government has arranged for clinical studies to
be conducted but, of course, they take time before all the side-effects can
be properly understood. At this point, there is a need for a combination of
common sense, caution, compassion and a lot more research. Drug, medical
and legal officials have to find the prescription that will lead to
marijuana being used safely for medicinal purposes and only for those purposes.