HEROIN ACCEPTABLE, POT NOT: AIDS PATIENT TOLD

But Ministry Of Health Invites Proposals For Future Clinical Tests Of Cannabis

A Toronto AIDS activist is launching a publicity campaign to expose the
difficulties he's having in securing legal permission to use marijuana for
medicinal purposes.

Fighting for his life against AIDS, Jim Wakeford has been told by the
federal ministry of health that while cocaine and heroin are drugs that
have been rubber-stamped in the past as controlled substances that could be
used by terminally ill patients, marijuana was off limits.

"It is the only effective medicine that I have found that does two things:
it curbs the side effects such as nausea, caused by AIDS medicine, and it
stimulates my appetite," explained Wakeford of the medical benefits derived
by AIDS patients from the forbidden drug.

Despite its contraband status, Wakeford says he can't put an end to his
daily pot smoking routine. "It's the only way I'm staying alive. It
stimulates my appetite. I have to eat," he added.

In a letter refusing Wakeford's request for permission to smoke pot
legally, federal health minister Allan Rock pointed out, instead, that
heroine and cocaine could be used in Canada for medicinal purposes.

Dr. Diane Riley, representing the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy, says
it is astounding that, while heroin and cocaine were approved for pain
relief in the 70's, marijuana has remained unnoticed.

"It is only recently that marijuana in Western science is known for its
medical use. Before, it had no medical use as far as the government's
concern because it hasn't been approved medically," said Riley.

The Canadian Foundation of Drug Policy has been fighting for years to bring
about the decriminalization of marijuana and other drugs they deem as soft.

But Bonnie Fox-McIntyre, a spokesperson for Rock, says that the procedures
within health Canada prohibit any such permission to be granted because
there has never been a federal clinical test weighing the benefits of the
drug.

"There is no scientific data that supports the medical use of marijuana,"
she said, adding that the ministry would be happy to accept applications to
conduct a clinical trial.

"We're sympathetic to people who are suffering from difficult conditions
that may or may not respond to different drugs that may or may not be on
the market," explained Fox-McIntyre. "We'd welcome proposals to get applied
clinical trials underway."

However, when Wakeford tried to take the federal government to court this
year, he was told to re-file his suit under section 56 of the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act. Section 56 states that the Ministry of Health has
the power, authority and responsibility to grant exemptions under special
circumstances.

Since the summer of 1997, Wakeford says he has been jostled between federal
ministries and left completely in the dark about section 56. It wasn't
until September eighth this year that he was finally informed of his rights
under section 56.

"It's frustrating that the system is playing games with me," he said.
"Filing the suit was the first stage. Now we're in the second stage."

He has recently filed a new suit against the government for infringing on
his constitutional rights by not permitting him legal access to marijuana.
"It is the only drug that can enable him to fight AIDS with dignity".

There are currently three other Canadians involved in similar court cases
in Saskatoon, Alberta and Ontario, according to Fox-McIntyre, but because
they are all still before the courts, they are off limits for comment.

But Riley says the time for de-criminalization is now. "Now there's more
public sentiment and more people are in favour of decriminalization. It
will start with lack of enforcement or minor penalties. The same steps were
taken in Australia and the Netherlands, where the final stages of
decriminalization have been achieved," said Riley.

Robin Ellins of the Cannabis Culture Shop, a strong advocate of
de-criminialization, agrees that the public is warming to his cause. "Just
about five years ago or more, you couldn't talk or print about the cannabis
plant without fear of prosecution," said Ellins.

Checked-by: Richard Lake