OTTAWA TO TEST MEDICINAL USE OF POT

The federal government plans to conduct human clinical tests to
determine if smoking marijuana can reduce pain in terminally ill
patients, a first step toward legalizing the drug for medical purposes.

Health Minister Allan Rock's announcement in the House of Commons on
Wednesday was both applauded and panned in Calgary.

"It's a good idea, and it's about time," said Dr. Nady El-Guebaly,
medical director of the addictions centre at Foothills Hospital.

"Let's test it. So far it's been a lot of heated debate and little
science. I think it's high time we did a properly controlled trial."

But Det. Pat Tetley, a city police drug expert who's testified at more
than 500 court cases around North America, said products are available
on the market that have the same or better results than you would get
from smoking marijuana.

"It's a placebo effect, or at best it's an excuse for a person to
continue to smoke it because they've been smoking it all their lives,"
said Tetley, who's studied marijuana since 1979. "I think it's
absolutely ridiculous to think that we would ever make it legal
medicinally."

Tetley said: "My heart goes out to these people who are afflicted with
these kinds of diseases, who are suffering . . . But surely to God we
can come up with something better than smoking marijuana to help these
people out."

Rock later explained that it should not be seen as a step toward
legalizing marijuana use.

"This has nothing to do with legalizing marijuana," he told reporters.
"This has to do with the fact there are people in Canada suffering
from terminal illnesses who have symptoms which are very difficult and
who believe (smoking marijuana) can help."

Rock said there is much anecdotal evidence from individuals suffering
from cancer and AIDS who say the drug can alleviate pain and combats
nausea, but no strict scientific evidence. The minister released few
details of the tests, but said officials have been asked to set up the
clinical experiments, as well as establish what kinds of patients
would participate and look into how patients could be guaranteed
access to a safe supply of the drug.

A spokesman for the minister said it may take a month or two before
officials draw up plans for the clinical tests, determining the size
of the tests and the duration.

Rock and Justice Minister Anne McLellan had pledged to initiate a
national debate of medical marijuana more than a year ago, but
Wednesday's announcement was the first concrete step toward legalizing
the drug for patients. Pressure has been building on the issue in both
Canada and the U.S. for years. November voters in six U.S. states
joined California in approving referendums to legalize medical
marijuana use.

Bloc Quebecois MP Bernard Bigras plans to introduce a motion in
Parliament today urging the government to take every step toward
legalizing medical marijuana.

Reaction from opposition members Wednesday was mostly positive,
although Reform MP Grant Hill, a medical doctor, warned of risks if
the testing was seen as a first step down the road to legalizing the
drug for general use.

"As a medical doctor, I have treated young people who were habituated
to marijuana, whose (school) marks had suffered and whose lives were
wrecked," he said. "But I'm open to compassion if marijuana is the
only thing that works."

Advocates say the drug is effective in reducing spasms for multiple
sclerosi sufferers, epilepsy seizures, as a painkiller and in reducing
symptoms of nausea which helps patients undergoing
chemotherapy.

Calgary pot crusader Grant Krieger, who has multiple sclerosis and
smokes the illegal drug to alleviate his symptoms, applauded the
government .

"The cannabis plant is a very safe and effective alternative medicine,
which is banned," said Krieger, 44, who is organizing a Compassion
Club in Calgary to provide locally grown pot to people with serious
illnesses.

Two years ago, Krieger said he asked the federal health department for
permission to do a research project and "they laughed at me."