DECRIMINALIZE POT FOR ILL, BAKER SAYS

People who need marijuana to ease pain from serious diseases should have
access to the illegal drug, says Justice Minister Michael Baker.

"People who are ill have the right to use drugs of their choice," Baker said
yesterday. "My personal view is that the federal government should begin to
regulate these drugs like marijuana for those people who have very, very
serious illnesses.

"Courts have recognized the defence of necessity ... I don't think it's in
the public's interest to litigate each and every case for every individual.''

Baker said a method to ensure people are using marijuana for therapeutic
uses only would have to be set up with medical guidelines to get access to
the drug.

"We're certainly not suggesting that everyone can simply just start using
marijuana when they want to.

"What we're suggesting is if there's a medical reason, there should be a
process for deciding this and it shouldn't be going to the courts because
the courts are a darn poor place to do medical planning,'' he said.

NDP health critic Howard Epstein said he agrees with Baker, and the federal
government, which has been granting exemptions to ill Canadians.

"This is a very sensible use of a natural substance that can actually have
valid medical applications, and I think that is what the federal Department
of Health is doing," Epstein said.

"This has been long recognized, and it seems, at this point, very well
regulated.''

Epstein said although sick people can win the right to smoke marijuana in
court, "it takes a long time, you never know if you're going to win and it's
expensive. I'd much rather see it regulated.''

It would be much easier if marijuana was decriminalized, he said, but it
would remain a controlled substance much like alcohol and tobacco.