MEDICINAL MARIJUANA GOES ASTRAY IN MAIL

OTTAWA - Canada Post is refusing to deliver medicinal marijuana to a
Brockville, Ont., man, despite his licence from Health Canada to
receive it legally.

It may be academic, anyway, because the package has gone missing.

The dosage was mailed April 22 from Grand Forks, B.C., by Brian
Taylor, a federally licensed grower and supplier.

When Taylor filed a complaint, Canada Post warned him such shipments,
if detected, would be confiscated under the corporation's non-mailable
substances policy. Spokesperson John Caines said Taylor did not have a
licence to ship medicinal marijauna through Canada Post.

However, Health Canada spokesperson Catherine Saunders said under
federal regulations, growers may ship their medicinal marijuana using
any courier, including Canada Post, that meets certain basic criteria.

Aube says he has been forced to increase his dosage of morphine to 120
ml a day from 30 ml to deal with his chronic back pain. He had
switched to marijuana because the morphine resulted in severe weight
loss and lethargy.

Taylor said he has shipped another dosage to Aube with a private
courier at nearly three times the price of Canada Post.