TESTING ON AIDS PATIENTS COULD LEAD TO LEGALIZING LEGALIZING MARIJUANA FOR
MEDICAL USE

RESEARCH FIRM CHOSEN FOR CANNABIS TRIALS

TORONTO -- It's an unassuming enough office building in downtown Toronto.
But inside, an epidemiologist is hard at work on a project that may soon
help pave the way to a decision thousands of Canadian AIDS patients have
been anxiously waiting for.

James Austin, a specialist in epidemic diseases and their control, is one
of two scientists who run Community Research Initiative of Toronto (CRIT),
a small community-based research organization that has been chosen to carry
out out Health Canada's cannabis trials to test its effectiveness on AIDS
patients. Mr. Austin will set up and help run the trials. The results may
determine whether Health Canada will any time soon legalize marijuana for
medical purposes.

The study, the first of its kind in Canada, is expected to begin before the
end of the year.

And for Dr. Don Kilby, a family physician who is also director of Health
Services at the University of Ottawa, that's none too soon.

"I've dealt with patients where (smoking cannabis) was the only thing that
was keeping them alive," says Dr. Kilby. "One man kept vomiting up his 30
odd pills a day and when he began smoking, turned into a thriving individual."

CRIT is a non-profit, two-person organization that studies community-based
AIDS issues such as the use of vitamins and exercise in treating AIDS
symptoms.

CRIT had planned to enter into the highly controversial area of marijuana
smoking by AIDS patients when it was approached by Health Canada to
participate in its project.

"The (original) idea was brought to us by people in the community who were
using (marijuana) and said they wanted more research," says Mr. Austin.
"Health Canada found out about the project we were working on so we got
together."

In March, Health Minister Allan Rock announced plans to conduct clinical
test to determine if smoking marijuana reduces pain in terminally ill
patients because, despite the anecdotal evidence ,there was no scientific
proof.

The issue has gained momentum in Canada and the U.S. and last November
voters in six U.S states joined California in approving referendums to
legalize medical marijuana use.

Currently, Canadians must apply for access to marijuana and other
controlled substances under a special Health Canada Department program.

The trials will last six months, Mr. Austin said, and will be conducted on
an out-patient basis. They will monitor the effect marijuana has on
appetite and nausea of AIDS patient in various parts of the country.

The major question that still remains, however, is where the marijuana is
going to come from.

The only three legal options the government has is the National Institute
on Drug Abuse in the U.S. that supplies research grade cannabis, a British
company GW Pharmaceuticals that is developing a cannabis inhaler for used
in medical tests and Canadian home-grown cannabis.

Mr. Austin says his organization has been called by many AIDS patients with
concerns over the possible use of American cannabis in the trials.

"The American company has a more specific strain of cannabis that they use
and the concern is that it won't be like what patients really use and draw
relief from."

Dr. Kilby, who will be a principal investigator in the trials, said the
source of the marijuana is important and is not comfortable with the
American cannabis.

"Because of the strain and the level of controls, that doesn't allow for
truly independent research because in the States you basically play by
their rules," he says. "In the U.K., we know that the source has the most
beneficial medicinal qualities."

Mr. Rock has said he favours growing cannabis in Canada for medicinal
purposes; however, the process would take years and could cost millions.

In order to meet health requirements, the marijuana has to be closely
monitored, properly cleaned and stored in order to ensure all of the plants
are exactly the same for testing and not contaminated by fungus or
pesticide, Dr. Kilby said.

"We are hoping the government will go with the U.K. source because we are
more comfortable with that one."

Carole Bouchard of Health Canada says that a decision hasn't been made but
CRIT's recommendations will be given serious consideration.

Dr. Kilby is confident the trials will prove that marijuana can help AIDS
patients. "After hundreds of years of people using marijuana, I think that
it does what people are saying it does and that is stimulates appetite and
reduces nausea."

Mr. Austin, however, is not taking sides on the issue. "There is always the
possibility that the marijuana will prove not to work," he said. "All we
are doing, however, is simply focusing on the science."

Meanwhile, Health Canada is remaining tight-lipped on what the results
could mean for AIDS patients.

Whatever the results or the decision of the government on legalizing
marijuana, it won't stop AIDS patients from doing what, in some cases,
keeps them alive, says Laurie Edmiston, executive director of the Toronto
People with AIDS Foundation.

"The reality is people with AIDs aren't waiting," she said. "Sure, the
marijuana should be cheap, high quality and controlled, but it is important
not to forget that people are going to get it through illegal means if they
have to."