DOPE HOPEFULS LIST LEAKED

Bosses of pot-for-pain program 'absolutely inept'

OTTAWA -- A confidential list of names of sick and dying Canadians who've
inquired about using marijuana as medicine has leaked from the federal
health department, The Sun has learned.

Health Canada has launched an internal investigation to determine how the
serious breach of confidentiality occurred in its controlled substances
section, which normally operates under tight security. The department has
also reported the matter to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, which
has assigned an officer to the case.

"Obviously, the government is very concerned about material getting into the
wrong hands," said Dann Michols, director-general of Health Canada's
therapeutic products program. "What makes this more concerning is that this
is private information - this is not even government information. It means
that individuals' lives are potentially affected."

Health Canada spent the weekend contacting more than 128 people - including
victims of AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis and chronic pain - who have
inquired about, applied for or been granted an exemption from the Criminal
Code to use the controlled narcotic. Department staff apologized for the
breach of confidentiality, Michols said.

Informing those affected has been the first priority, but now the focus will
shift to finding out how the names were "improperly obtained" by a
journalist. Michols said he would be "doubly appalled" if the investigation
finds the information, which is covered by the Privacy Act, was deliberately
released by a branch employee.

The list of names does not contain other information such as telephone
numbers or medical information. A lawyer has contacted the journalist's news
organization and Michols is confident the names will not be used for
publication.

Rob Brown, a victim of hepatitis C, is outraged, but not shocked by the
revelation. A longtime critic of Health Canada's handling of the medical
marijuana issue, Brown staged a one-man protest on Parliament Hill last
month. He highlighted a slow application and approval process, and became
the 20th Canadian to receive an exemption.

Brown was among those contacted by Health Canada this weekend.

"They're absolutely inept," he said. "Health Canada is not even competent
enough to keep up with their own promise of privacy."