POT ADVOCATE BLAMES RED TAPE FOR HASH-OIL BLAST

Ottawa is to blame for an explosion that badly burned a Lower
Sackville man Saturday, says the head of Maritimers Unite for Medical
Marijuana.

"I firmly believe what happened is the fault of our government," said
Debbie Stultz-Giffin of Bridgetown.

Chris Backer was in his basement making hash oil when the blast
occurred, RCMP have said.

The 40-year-old has a permit to use medical marijuana, which he has
said he uses to manage his Crohn's disease.

But Stultz-Giffin said Backer and many other patients get the most
relief from ingesting cannabis in oil form.

"Oils often exemplify the medical benefits of the plant, and people
tend to get more prolonged relief, better pain coverage over a longer
period of time, by ingesting extracts, whether it's oils, tincture or
something as simple as a brownie with cannabis in it," Stultz-Giffin said.

She said the only ways to get hash oil in Canada are to buy it on the
black market or try to make it yourself.

Backer is a longtime member and board member of the society, which
acts as a lobby and advocacy group.

"(Backer's) oil use and oil making is 100 per cent medical,"
Stultz-Giffin said.

Health Canada knows that many people use or want to use oils but
there is no legal way to get them, she said.

"(Backer's case) is just the prime example, that they've put us in
danger time and again."

Stultz-Giffin said all aspects of the plant should be considered
equally for medicinal use. And methods and equipment for safe home
manufacturing of hash oil could be developed if the government
endorsed the idea, she said.

Backer was listed in critical condition over the weekend.
Stultz-Giffin said Monday evening she was not free to discuss his condition.