OTTAWA WON'T APPEAL RULING STRIKING DOWN MARIJUANA LAWS: JUSTICE

OTTAWA (AP) - The federal government will not appeal an Ontario court
ruling that struck down marijuana laws because they don't allow for
medicinal use, a Justice spokeswoman said Friday.

The government made the decision Thursday, a week after Health
Minister Allan Rock announced he would make changes to regulations
that would allow Canadians access to marijuana for medical purposes.

The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in July that Canadian laws
prohibiting possession of marijuana failed to recognize that pot can
be used for medical purposes.

The court gave Ottawa a year to change the law, after which there
would be no law prohibiting possession in Ontario.

Rock said last week the new approach, once in place, would define the
circumstances and the manner in which use of marijuana will be allowed
for medical purposes.

Currently, Canadians can apply to the government for exemption from
the law for medical purposes with the supervision of a doctor.