Marijuana legal in Canada for medical use

[Grativity]

Rules Broaden Use of Medical Marijuana
Updated: Mon, Jul 30 1:23 AM EDT
By TOM COHEN, Associated Press Writer
TORONTO (AP) - Canadians suffering from terminal illnesses and chronic conditions such as arthritis can legally grow and smoke marijuana, or designate someone else to grow it for them, under regulations that take effect Monday.
The new rules are part of the first system in the world that includes a government-approved and paid-for supply of marijuana, now being grown in a former mine in northern Manitoba.

The rules will expand the number of people beyond the 292 in the country currently exempted from federal drug laws that make it a criminal offense to grow and use marijuana.

While some in Canada complain the new regulations create bureaucratic hurdles and put doctors in the unsettling role of prescribing something they know little about, the Canadian system looks wonderful to U.S. medical marijuana advocates battling a zero-tolerance attitude.

"We're kind of envious of Canadians having the luxury of complaining about the minutiae of the program," said Chuck Thomas of the Washington-based Marijuana Policy Project. "It seems like a reasonable system."

Eight U.S. states have taken some kind of step toward permitting the medicinal use of marijuana: California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada and Colorado. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, ruled earlier this year that there is no exception in federal law for people to use marijuana, so even people with state medical-exemptions could face arrest if they do.

North of the border in the country that is the biggest U.S. trade partner, attitudes are different. Justice Minister Anne McLellan said the issue of decriminalizing marijuana should be studied, and the Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to consider a challenge against the constitutionality of criminal marijuana laws.

The new health regulations were drawn up after a court ruling last year that gave the government until July 31 to create a way for people requiring marijuana for medicinal purposes to legally obtain it.

The new rules permit drug possession for the terminally ill with a prognosis of death within one year; those with symptoms associated with specific serious medical conditions; and those with other medical conditions who have statements from two doctors saying conventional treatments have not worked. Eligible patients include those with severe arthritis, cancer, HIV/AIDS and multiple sclerosis.

More than 500 new applications are pending, and more are expected, according to the federal health ministry.

The Canadian Medical Association, which represents tens of thousands of doctors, opposes the new regulations because they make physicians responsible for prescribing a substance that lacks significant clinical research on its effects. Without the cooperation of doctors, patients cannot get medical marijuana exemptions.

Under the regulations, people can grow and possess marijuana for medical needs, or name someone to grow it for them, including the government.

In Flin Flon, Manitoba, a mining town hundreds of miles north of the U.S. border, Prairie Plant Systems is growing marijuana in a former copper mine under a government contract worth more than $3.5 million.

It expects the first harvest this fall of marijuana that will be supplied by the government to eligible patients and used for research on therapeutic effects. Company head Brent Zettl uses the same techniques that were used to grow berries and roses in the tapped-out mine beneath Trout Lake.

In town, a novelty store has sold 6,000 T-shirts bearing a new slogan for Flin Flon - Marijuana Growing Capital of Canada.

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Let's hear everyones opinion on this one. From my stand point as a Canadian I believe that the stuff should be totally legal for several reasons : Millions of dollars wasted on policing it, it keeps organized crime/biker gangs in business, the gov't could be collecting taxes on it like is done for tobbaco and alcahol and to me, the most important reason is that because it is bought from the same people who sell crack it becomes a gateway drug.

[El_Mero_Zooter]

hey, im in canada and beginning to feel my jointz, tense up from all da encoding, and eyes twitch from staring at the monitor. . could be early signz.

humm, what's up doc?
so this would mean doing a 2-puff puff--pass or even a 3pass, puff, puff, pass, depending on which pipe im encoding on..

[nailzer]

WOOHOO! PARTY TIME!!!
(Sorry couldn't resist)

[TIbrO]

Hehe, if they legalized it in my state it would be no different than it is now for me. I smoke way too much already, though!

[Bitrater]

I loaded a bud into tmpegenc and it took over 15 hours to smoke it! Can't it go any faster, Im running a 3 foot long graffix with a sidecar hoo-ya, filled with ice.

[freydo]

here's some of the facts that i've read about the stuff, which coincidentally is grown in my Province. too bad i don't smoke the stuff myself.

the percentage of the chemical (can't remember the name) is about 6%, while your everyday joint that can be purchased from your neighbourhood 6 year old is around 18% (???). for the tokers out there, this stuff would really be like smoking tea leaves compared to what you're used to.

so i wouldn't get too excited... well maybe a little

[Grativity]

Well Actually the percentage of Tetrahydrocanabol (thc) can be anywhere from 5 to 30%, the governemt is very aware of the weakness of their crop in the flin flon plantation but they plan to use a stronger hybrid as time progresses.

[TIbrO]

And plus, the stuff that my gangs of six year olds sell for me in this city varies from season to season... even batch to batch.