CANADA APPROVES MARIJUANA USE FOR 14 SERIOUSLY ILL PEOPLE

OTTAWA (AP) -- Canada is granting 14 people with serious illnesses
permission to use marijuana for medical reasons, the country's health
minister said Tuesday.

The health department sifted through 100 applications, selecting 14.
No applications have been rejected outright, and there may be more
exemptions granted, officials said.

The federal government first gave permission for the cultivation and
use of marijuana for medical purposes in June, when Health Minister
Allan Rock granted special exemptions from federal drug law to two
people who have AIDS.

Some of the people who applied to use marijuana said they're too sick
to grow the plants. The government, in turn, has said it will invite
bids from firms to cultivate the plant.

"One of our goals is also to get a Canadian source of supply for
medical purposes so that problem doesn't arise," said Rock.

"As you know, we're new to this line of work, so we're doing the best
we can to cope."

People wishing to apply for permission to use marijuana must have a
doctor's approval. Those with illnesses such as cancer and AIDS say
marijuana helps relieve pain and stimulate their appetite.

Despite the shift on medical usage of marijuana, Canadian laws against
the drug remain in force and are applied, resulting in many
convictions every year.

In the United States, at least six states have passed measures to
permit the drug's medicinal use if prescribed by a physician.