CANNABIS CAPSULES CAUSE STIR

Supplement Approved But Health Canada Investigating

Middle Sackville - Med Marijuana Inc.'s owners might have been spared a lot
of grief if they'd sold their edible oil supplements under another name.

Although the cannabis sativa oil gel caps, or hemp oil supplement, are a
legal health-food supplement, Michael Patriquen and Melanie Stephen of
Middle Sackville chose to keep the word marijuana in the company name.

Health Canada says the company is under investigation about health claims
suggesting, among other things, the supplement may thin the blood, which
may prevent blood clots, heart attacks and stroke.

The department is also looking into whether the supplement is a banned
substance under the Controlled Substances Act.

"We fall into full compliance with the industrial hemp legislation of 1998
and there's nothing in the regulations that says we must call it hemp,"
said Mr. Patriquen.

The law defines "industrial hemp" as the plants and plant parts of cannabis
that don't contain more than 0.3 per cent of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC,
a psychoactive substance.

Mr. Patriquen said the company has all the Health Canada documents needed
to make the supplement.

He said some distributors are concerned about the investigation and others
have stopped selling the product.

He believes Ottawa is fully aware the product is legal.

"Before we did anything we had it thoroughly checked out. . . . This oil is
taken from federally certified seed and Health Canada licensed (a southern
Ontario farmer) to grow the seed and inspectors gave him a certificate of
analysis. "Our attorney sent the paperwork on to Health Canada and
everything's got their stamp on it."

A Health Canada spokesman said Thursday if the paperwork is all in order,
an investigation into the product should conclude the company isn't
violating the Controlled Substances Act.

Asked why he didn't go the easy route and leave marijuana out of his
company's name, Mr. Patriquen said simply: "I'm stubborn."

"In 1976 I was enrolled in pre-law and got busted for a joint. "I got a
$300 fine and my dreams of law school were gone and the injustice of that
has stayed with me."

Mr. Patriquen and his wife, Ms. Stephen, are members of the Marijuana Party
of Canada and support the legalization of marijuana.

"Pot doesn't violate society. . . . Nobody is hurt by it. . . . It's a
benign, natural and safe product," said Ms. Stephen.

Last week, Mr. Patriquen pleaded guilty in Nova Scotia Supreme Court to
conspiracy to possess marijuana in Nova Scotia and conspiracy to traffic in
the drug here and in Newfoundland.

Dating to 1999 and 2000, the charges aren't related to their company. Mr.
Patriquen will be sentenced in August.

Ironically, Mr. Patriquen is allowed to grow marijuana in his home for
medical purposes. A severe neck injury earned him a Health Canada exemption
from prosecution.

"I get charged for something that I'm now legally allowed to grow. . . . It
makes you wonder," he said.

Mr. Patriquen and Ms. Stephen say response to their product has been
positive and they'll continue to market it as a food supplement.