MEDICAL MARIJUANA ACCESS RULES INVALID

Editor, The News:

Re: Legal pot growers pick own medicine (The News, Feb. 5).

I support Michelle Rainey in her advocacy for the right of sick people
to chose their medicine.

I advocate for all people their right to invoke the doctrine of
informed consent, which obviates the need to turn to Health Canada for
cannabis.

This is particularly relevant since the Marijuana Medical Access
Regulations were found once again constitutionally invalid with the
Supreme Court of Canada ruling on Jan. 14 in the Beren case. The MMAR
have been made available to about one in 25 Canadians who use cannabis
as medicine. That's not an insult - it's genocide.

Your story erroneously characterizes grow ops as dangerous to people
who break into them. The RCMP's own data says they are not
(http://bcmarijuanaparty.com/node/6). If news reports are any
indication, the major threat to legal cannabis gardens in still the
police.

The reason Health Canada cannot prosecute violations is because the
MMAR has no punitive measures. It is merely a regulatory scheme.

Only one in 60 doctors is willing to sign an MMAR exemption. They're
being pressured to not sign. Ask them.

Growing cannabis requires no more diligence than for growing tomatoes.
Cannabis is statistically safer than drinking water or table salt.

The last fact about cannabis I'll leave you with is that the pot laws
are of no force and effect and have remained so since August 1, 2001 -
the first day the MMAR took effect.

Bruce Codere

Fox Creek, Alta.