DOUBTS ON MEDICAL USE OF POT

Allowing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes could send the wrong
message to Canadian teenagers, sparking greater acceptance of the drug,
warns an internal Health Department memo.

The concern is one of a litany of thorny issues raised by federal officials
in the newly released briefing document, which examines the potential use of
marijuana for therapeutic purposes.

The note, prepared by the department's health protection branch for minister
Allan Rock, identifies several stumbling blocks, including health hazards
posed by cannabis, possible friction with the medical profession and the
difficulty of obtaining legal supplies of the drug.

An edited version of the memo, originally stamped secret, was obtained by
Southam News under the Access to Information Act.

The department cites United Nations research that indicates the age of
initiation into drug abuse has been falling yearly. "The rate of drug use
among young people is linked to their perception of risks related to drugs,"
says the memo. "The use of marijuana as a therapeutic product may convey the
false message that marijuana has some benefit and is not that dangerous."

It notes several "hazardous effects" of marijuana, including short-term
impairment of motor skills, increased blood pressure, lung damage,
suppression of the immune system and risk of dependence among heavy users.

The memo suggests government efforts to stamp out smoking and to combat
illegal drug use could be undermined by making marijuana available for
medical use, saying the move "may be in conflict with the Canadian drug and
tobacco strategies."

Canada is a signatory to a series of international treaties that require the
federal government to exercise control over production and distribution of
narcotics, including marijuana. "Any movement towards legal access to
marijuana may be perceived negatively by other countries."

The federal government has come under pressure in recent ears to allow
sufferers of AIDS and cancer to smoke marijuana to cope with nausea caused
by chemical therapies.