Pubdate: Mon, 04 Jul 2005
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Russell Barth
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1031/a02.html

MEDICAL MARIJUANA RULES STILL SERIOUSLY FLAWED

Re: Medical marijuana rules to get revamped, JUNE 26.

I am a licensed medical marijuana user for the second time in three
years. The new regulations are better than the old ones, but they
still fail to comply with several court orders.

I have had the misfortune of trying the second batch of
government-grown marijuana. It is absolutely the worst cannabis I have
ever seen, let alone used. To charge sick and dying people $5 per gram
for something already paid for by Canadian taxpayers is criminal.

Valerie Lasher, the manager of Health Canada's medical marijuana
program, says, "This is unlike any other treatment. You can grow this
stuff in the back yard. Maybe people would prefer to do that rather
than go through any kind of filling out a form process." That would be
great, except police and rippers come and take it. It is illegal
without a licence.

As long as cannabis is illegal, it will be a black market commodity,
and this will endanger medical users. There will be no safety for
medical marijuana users until the drug is legal.

Russell Barth,

Ottawa
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