FEDS WILL SEEK TO LOOSEN RULES FOR MEDICAL POT

OTTAWA -- The federal government is set to propose new regulations this
week making marijuana more accessible for people suffering from serious
illnesses. It's expected the new regulations will address a contradiction
in current regulations, which allow people with illnesses to use marijuana
but provide no legal route of supply.

Ottawa intends to comply with an Ontario ruling last year that found the
law banning possession of marijuana unconstitutional and gave the federal
government one year to amend it.

The intention is to get new rules in place by July 31 to comply with a
court-ordered deadline, said Catherine Lappe, Health Minister Allan Rock's
press secretary, in an interview yesterday.

The proposed amendments will likely be published in the Canada Gazette this
week, with public comment invited for a 30-day period.

Currently, people with serious illnesses can apply for exemption from
prosecution for growing or using marijuana, and some 210 people have
obtained exemptions. Many applications have stalled or been rejected.

Last month, police raided the home of Toronto AIDS patient Jim Wakeford,
who has a permit to use marijuana. They seized about 200 cannabis plants he
was growing for himself and chronically ill friends.

In February two men were charged with trafficking after police raided
Montreal's Club Compassion, one of several clubs that have sprung up across
the country for medical marijuana users.

Reports suggest the new rules would allow a patient who is ill to designate
another person as a supplier, which would be a significant step beyond
current regulations.