MAN'S FIGHT FOR ACCESS TO MEDICINAL MARIJUANA CONTINUES

A Trail man is one step closer to having his case of alleged
discrimination heard by the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.

"This is very positive," said Dennis Lillico from his East Trail home.
"This isn't just about me anymore. The B.C. Compassion Club has over
1,000 very sick people who are trying to get federal exemption to grow
their own medicinal marijuana."

Lillico got the news this month that while his case against two local
physicians - Dr. T.H. Hii and Dr. Michael Scully - had been dismissed,
his case against the B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons will
proceed to a hearing.

"All three doctors have treated me, and all three have refused to
prescribe me marijuana," Lillico said. "I feel I have been
discriminated against because they have acknowledged that smoking
cannabis does help with my pain and movement."

Lillico, 38, suffers from a very rare neurological disorder known as
familial autosomal dominant myoclonic dystonia. The condition is
severely disabling and causes seizure-like symptoms along with intense
pain.

"I've tried many different medications," he said. "And the only
medicine that gives me relief is marijuana."

Lillico said one of the reasons he can't get a doctor to prescribe
marijuana is because of his past history with cocaine and alcohol
abuse. Both substances, he insists he has not used for many years.

Under the federal government's marijuana medical access regulation,
people can be authorized to grow, possess and use marijuana for
medical purposes, but first they must apply to the Minister of Health
for authorization. This application for authorization must be
supported by a medical declaration.

That's the reason Lillico says he asked his physicians for support.

"But they saw me as an addict," he said. "That's why they refused to
prescribe marijuana for me. That is discrimination."

Dr. Spacey, although acknowledging using marijuana might be beneficial
for his well being, said she wouldn't prescribe it "because she was
concerned about liability," Lillico said. "She also said she did not
recommend it because of my past history with substance abuse."

Dr. Hii also refused to prescribe cannabis, "because he said he didn't
know how it worked with my other medications."

And Dr. Scully, although writing a letter of support for Lillico, said
he couldn't prescribe it because "he didn't feel comfortable doing
so."

Both Dr. Hii and Dr. Scully denied in the Human Rights preliminary
hearing that Lillico's past history of alcohol abuse and cocaine use
were a factor in their refusal to provide a prescription. The
complaints against them were dismissed.

However, the complaint against Dr. Spacey, a neurogeneticist at the
UBC Neurogenetics Clinic, will proceed to the 2005 hearing, along with
the case Lillico has made against the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

"(The college) sent out a position statement discouraging physicians
from prescribing marijuana to their patients." Lillico explained.
"How is someone like me suppose to gain access to medical marijuana if
the college tells their doctors not to prescribe it?"

Without access to medicinal marijuana, Lillico says he has to buy it
illegally.

"I can't grow it because of my house insurance," he said. "On two
occasions when I have tried to grow it, the police have raided my
house and taken my plants away."

But while Lillico is encouraged that his case will go before the Human
Rights Tribunal, right now he can't find a doctor.

"I have no general practitioner working on my behalf. When my name
pops up, red lights flash and the wrong impression forms. So many
doctors have turned me down, it's not even funny."

But he added, "They haven't quite made me a second-class citizen yet.
I can still go to the emergency at the hospital, if I have to."