COMPASSION CLUB WANTS SAY IN POT DEBATE

MONTREAL - A group of medical marijuana activists is attacking Health
Canada for failing to include them on an advisory committee studying the
the plant's medicinal uses.

After extensive lobbying, representative from the Compassion Club received
an invitation to address the committee, which met Monday in Montreal. The
activists say they deserve a permanent place on the panel to address the
humanitarian aspects of medicinal marijuana use.

"Right now [Health Canada] lacks credibility. They lack the experience that
we do in dealing with medicinal cannabis," says Phillipe Lucas, a
Compassion Club member.

Since its inception six years ago, the Compassion Club has supplied
marijuana to people suffering from painful, debilitating diseases including
HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.

Beth Peterson, acting Director of Health Canada's drug strategy and
controlled substances programme, says she didn't want the committee to
become ineffective by growing too large.

"They weren't specifically excluded, but they weren't included." says
Peterson. "We meant to try to have a balance of the different stakeholders.

The committee includes representatives from an AIDS organization, along
with members of Canada's medical community and police forces.

Peterson says the Compassion Club's presentation to committee members will
be taken into consideration for the panel's final report.