MARIJUANA PROGRAM LOSES BOSS

OTTAWA -- Health Canada's medical marijuana program seems gripped by chaos
after the departure of its boss, Cindy Cripps-Prawak.

Cripps-Prawak left her job as director of the Office of Medical Access last
week, Health Canada spokeswoman Jirina Vlk confirmed yesterday.

It's the second recent resignation to hit the marijuana program. Dr. Greg
Robinson, who is also an AIDS patient, resigned from Health Canada's
advisory committee because of what he described as inconsistencies in the
access program.

Cripps-Prawak's move last Friday came two days after the department
introduced a plan to distribute medical marijuana through doctors' offices.

The interim plan was introduced in response to a court ruling that patients
had to be given some legal means of obtaining the drug and has criticized
with equal vehemence by doctors and patients.

The Canadian Medical Association has strongly advised doctors not to
participate.

Critics have frequently questioned Health Minister Anne McLellan's
commitment to the medical marijuana program set up by her predecessor Allan
Rock.

She has said she doesn't believe Health Canada should be in the business of
distributing cannabis, and has indicated the distribution will end if her
department wins its appeal of the Ontario court ruling.