MEDICINAL POT USERS LAUNCH JOINT APPEAL

TORONTO -- Canada is now the only country in the world with a
government-regulated system that allows for the medicinal use of
marijuana.

Under new regulations that came into effect yesterday, patients
suffering from terminal illnesses and chronic conditions such as AIDS
and multiple sclerosis can apply for the right to legally grow and
smoke marijuana.

'Compassionate'

"This compassionate measure will improve the quality of life of sick
Canadians, particularly those who are terminally ill," said Health
Minister Allan Rock upon making the announcement earlier this month.
Not everyone is so sure of that.

James Wakeford, 58, has been suffering with AIDS for eight years and
is a medicinal marijuana user. In 1999, he became one of the first
two Canadians to be granted special status to harvest and smoke the
illegal drug.

"These regulations are going to make our lives more miserable than
they were when I started this process," he said.

'No Legal Supply'

Wakeford is asking the government to provide a safe, clean and
affordable supply of marijuana for medicinal use so that terminally
ill individuals will not be forced to buy the drugs on the black
market. "There's no legal supply and nobody can help us," he said.

Health Canada spokesman Roslyn Tremblay said there is currently no
designated source for legal marijuana. So for now, those authorized
to possess marijuana have three options: They can grow their own
supply, they can designate a caregiver to grow it for them or they
can buy it illegally.