DOCTORS CONCERNED ABOUT LEGAL MARIJUANA

Marijuana becomes a legal prescription drug this week despite concerns
raised by medical communities across the country.

In a letter to federal Health Minister Alan Rock, Dr. Clayne Steed,
president of the Alberta Medical Association, said the regulations coming
into effect Tuesday "place physicians in an untenable position."

"I think that's an excellent piece of work," Dr. Al Nicholson, medical
officer of health for the Northern Lights Health Authority, said of Steed's
letter. "It outlines the problems very well."

In the letter, Steed said the AMA finds the new regulations unacceptable
because: * this method of treatment is not evidence-based and has not yet
had any rigorous testing regarding long term implications; * there are no
clinical practice guidelines in place for the medicinal use of marijuana
including appropriate dosage; and * physicians have no way of knowing
product potency or consistency. Steed advised doctors to think twice before
filling out marijuana requisition forms for patients, especially filling
out forms that come from any source other than Health Canada.

"I just wish the federal government was as keen and eager about OKing
things that have proper clinical studies," Nicholson said. "They should be
approving other things a lot faster than they are marijuana."

Nicholson said the federal government is moving with "unseemly haste
without getting good clinical advice ahead of time."