OTTAWA INSTRUCTS MEDICAL POT USERS

OTTAWA - Canadians who consume marijuana for medicinal reasons will be
handed a guide, published by Health Canada, that details the various
consequences of pot use.

The 59-page manual will be sent to doctors this week and will be posted on
the Internet.

A two-page Health Canada summary cautioning against the use of the drug
will be handed to patients.

Distribution of government approved medicinal marijuana is contingent on
the publication of this manual, said," Suzanne Desjardins, a Health Canada
scientist who helped produce the manual.

The marijuana is being grown by Prairie Plant Systems in Flin Flon,
Manitoba and will be distributed in a dried form, through doctors, to about
582 approved medical users at a cost of $5 a gram, much less the street price.

A draft copy of the manual informs pot users that " administration by
smoking is not recommended" and advises against administering marijuana to
children up to 16 years of age or to those 65 years or older because "the
potential for harm is likely to outweigh benefits." Nursing and pregnant
women are similarly urged to steer clear.

The manual, called, Information for Health Care Professionals, warns of
potential panic attacks, psychosis and convulsions in some cases.