CANCER FIGHT FALLOUT

NV Man Stymied In Search For Medicinal Marijuana

TOM Wieland is dying of cancer.

He doesn't need to deal with government hassle, but he is.

The 53-year-old North Vancouver man has a doctor's prescription for
medicinal marijuana. Unfortunately that prescription cannot be legally
filled.

"It is impossible to get a hold of this stuff unless you break the law,"
said a frustrated Wieland. "I don't smoke it to get high. I smoke it so I
don't get sick."

Wieland has been fighting cancer for 25 years. He was diagnosed with
testicular cancer that spread to a kidney and his urethra. The cancer has
now spread to his lungs and bladder.

Wieland takes numerous powerful prescription pills. He currently receives
cancer treatment that makes him vomit excessively.

"I can't even take the damn pills, they keep coming up. Two puffs off a
marijuana joint and I'm fine. I can eat. My appetite comes back... This is
a wonderful thing to have a little comfort when you are dying," said
Wieland.

Wieland used marijuana after radiation for testicular cancer. "I know it
affected my recovery in that I wasn't so sick that I was melting away,"
said Wieland.

Marijuana is known to increase appetite and reduce feelings of nausea.

Wieland sends a relative downtown to "basically break the law for me" every
two days and buy marijuana. Wieland is a writer and musician and has
children. He used to be in the military and "worked all his life."

"For me to go down into the underworld of Granville Street and skulk out
little bags of marijuana... people are treated better in Third World
countries," said Wieland.

He estimates about 60 apparently homeless young people on Granville Street
actually sell marijuana at any time of day.

The federal government does recognize the benefits of marijuana for medical
use.

Federal Health minister Allan Rock set up a system for people using
medicinal marijuanathat exempts them from drug prosecutions. Health Canada
spokesman Roslyn Tremblay said that 52 Canadians have been exempted since
June 1999.

To get the prosecution exemption, a person must apply to Health Canada and
have their doctor's written support. Applications are available on the
Internet at Health Canada's Web site.

Tremblay said that marijuana is not viewed as a therapeutic product and is
therefore not available at a pharmacy or government-approved outlet.
Tremblay said "the difficulty" was there is no legal supply of marijuana.

"At the moment, each (exempt) individual is very much on their own for
supply," said Tremblay.

North Vancouver Canadian Alliance MP Ted White said that at some point a
person must illegally purchase marijuana in order to legally possess or
cultivate it under the exemption.

"It looks like a bit of a mess and something that is not well thought out,"
said White.

He added that the situation appeared as another "Allan Rock screwup."

"If it is worth doing, there should have been some sort of government
supply available," said White.

Meanwhile Wieland is waiting to join the Vancouver Compassion Club. The
club dispenses small amounts of organic marijuana to sick people. The
police are not enforcing drug laws against the group.

Wieland does not wish to "live that lifestyle" of growing marijuana plants.