MEDICINAL POT A GUTSY DECISION

HEALTH MINISTER Allan Rock has said he's never smoked marijuana for
medicinal purposes, but he's giving more sick and dying Canadians just that
opportunity.

Last week Rock announced that about 100 Canadians have written to ask for
the legal right to smoke pot, but only 14 applicants have been granted
exemptions by Health Canada under Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and
Substances Act.

In addition to two exemptions announced this summer, there are now 16
Canadians who can legally light up.

AIDS and cancer victims say smoking marijuana helps them get over the
nausea caused by harsh chemical therapies. Others say puffing pot can help
relieve pain associated with diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Some say
it can also curb epileptic seizures.

"What motivates us is the humanitarian approach, a compassionate approach
to those who are seriously sick or dying and who believe that access to
marijuana will help relieve their suffering," Rock said.

Those who have won the right to smoke marijuana have also won the right to
grow it. An exemption under Section 56 gives them the right to cultivate or
possess a controlled substance. Yet to be decided is whether the exemption
gives caregivers the same rights.

Rock also announced clinical trials to test marijuana for medical purposes.
In a double-blind random test, a total of 250 patients will either receive
research-grade cannabis in a smoked form, a commercially available drug
containing synthetic THC, or a placebo. The trial is expected to start
early in the new year and will take about a year to complete.

Rock's announcements come at an interesting time in the history of what
once was referred to as the "evil weed."

In Toronto, the Ontario Court of Appeal is hearing the case of a man who is
appealing a conviction for selling marijuana. His lawyer argues the federal
government does not have the constitutional authority to criminalize pot
because it's a relatively harmless drug that he says is safer than many
foods people eat.

In Calgary, a man who smoked half a joint before causing a highway accident
that killed one person and injured others was found not guilty of impaired
driving causing death. The judge hearing the case decided weather
conditions, not the weed, were responsible for the crash.

As the debate about criminalized marijuana continues, it's clear Parliament
will come under pressure to legalize it for medical purposes, especially as
more and more Canadians openly defy the law to get relief from the diseases
that afflict them.

Obviously the jury's still out on medicinal marijuana, but Rock should be
congratulated for having the courage to move ahead in a cautious and
controlled way.

For those suffering from AIDS, cancer or multiple sclerosis, it's the least
society can do.