DOSANJH SHOULD DO THE DECENT THING

Speaking of misguided drug policies, Canada's health minister, Ujjal
Dosanjh, needs to rethink the federal government's approach to medical
marijuana. In particular, he should ask himself why his department is
prepared to defy an appeals court ruling just so he can keep a private
company from providing approved health services to Canadians.

Last October, the Ontario Court of Appeal struck down three regulations on
who can grow medicinal marijuana, including one that said a licensed grower
can't grow for more than one licensed user. As we pointed out on this page
recently, that lasted until December, when Health Canada decided to bring
that rule back, on the grounds that the court ruling was only "useful
guidance."

In the two months that the health department was following the court
ruling, however, it gave licences to two growers under the conditions set
out by the judges. So, somewhere in Canada, two growers are licensed to
produce marijuana for a total of six users, contrary to the post-December
rules.

Eric Nash of Island Harvest Certified Organic Marijuana says he, through
his company, is one of them. He and his wife grow organic B.C. bud on
Vancouver Island and supply people in Ontario. All of them will be out of
luck come October, when licences come up for renewal.

Health Canada is unapologetic: no matter what the judges said, it insists
that licensed growers could be enticed by the lure of the black market to
sell pot there. This conveniently ignores another of the judges' findings:
that the black market thrives despite government attempts to shut it down
(see editorial above). If Mr. Dosanjh cares much about constitutional
order, he should instruct his department to obey the court and loosen the
marijuana rules.