News (Media Awareness Project) - Canada: Paralysed Man Applauds Court Decision |
| Title: | Canada: Paralysed Man Applauds Court Decision |
| Published On: | 1997-12-14 |
| Source: | Ottawa Citizen |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-07 18:34:41 |
PARALYSED MAN APPLAUDS COURT DECISION
Peter Shields has been inhaling marijuana regularly since he was admitted
into the Ottawa General Hospital almost three weeks ago.
Yesterday, he both applauded and questioned a decision in Toronto court
Wednesday that ruled in favour of Terry Parkers constitutional challenge
of Canadas marijuana laws.
Ontario Justice Patrick Sheppard said the laws were designed to protect the
health of Canadians. But depriving Mr. Parker of marijuana did little or
nothing to improve his health, said Judge Sheppards decision.
Mr. Shields said the court decision is a victory for people like himself
who use marijuana for therapeutic reasons.
Left paralysed from the waist down in a motorcycle accident 24 years ago,
Mr. Shields, 51, has found that marijuana reduces the pain he feels in the
lower part of his body.
"I was never a big marijuana user until my pain became intolerable," said
Mr. Shields, who has spent the past few weeks recovering from surgery. He
lit a marijuana cigarette in his hospital room shortly after he arrived.
Later, because of the hospitals smoking ban, he inhaled marijuana supplied
by visitors using an "electric bong," a device that looks like a jam jar.
Powered by electricity, it vapourizes the marijuana, allowing the user to
inhale the smoke through a tube.
Wednesdays court decision presents more questions than answers, Mr.
Shields said. For example, how will the court decide which patients have
access to marijuana and for which medical problems, he asked. Pain is an
individual thing and very hard to define, he said.
His other major problem will be finding a doctor to prescribe it. Mr.
Shields has not encountered a doctor who is willing to prescribe the narcotic.
He thinks the court decision will open a Pandoras box of marijuana use.
"Once you start the ball rolling, its never going to stop. Its not a
leap from therapeutic use to recreational use."
Peter Shields has been inhaling marijuana regularly since he was admitted
into the Ottawa General Hospital almost three weeks ago.
Yesterday, he both applauded and questioned a decision in Toronto court
Wednesday that ruled in favour of Terry Parkers constitutional challenge
of Canadas marijuana laws.
Ontario Justice Patrick Sheppard said the laws were designed to protect the
health of Canadians. But depriving Mr. Parker of marijuana did little or
nothing to improve his health, said Judge Sheppards decision.
Mr. Shields said the court decision is a victory for people like himself
who use marijuana for therapeutic reasons.
Left paralysed from the waist down in a motorcycle accident 24 years ago,
Mr. Shields, 51, has found that marijuana reduces the pain he feels in the
lower part of his body.
"I was never a big marijuana user until my pain became intolerable," said
Mr. Shields, who has spent the past few weeks recovering from surgery. He
lit a marijuana cigarette in his hospital room shortly after he arrived.
Later, because of the hospitals smoking ban, he inhaled marijuana supplied
by visitors using an "electric bong," a device that looks like a jam jar.
Powered by electricity, it vapourizes the marijuana, allowing the user to
inhale the smoke through a tube.
Wednesdays court decision presents more questions than answers, Mr.
Shields said. For example, how will the court decide which patients have
access to marijuana and for which medical problems, he asked. Pain is an
individual thing and very hard to define, he said.
His other major problem will be finding a doctor to prescribe it. Mr.
Shields has not encountered a doctor who is willing to prescribe the narcotic.
He thinks the court decision will open a Pandoras box of marijuana use.
"Once you start the ball rolling, its never going to stop. Its not a
leap from therapeutic use to recreational use."
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