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Canada: Grass may be greener in Quebec, pot advocate says Aaron Derfel The Gazette Wednesday 23 Apr 2008 Nearly seven years after the federal regulations came into effect, patients with severe illnesses still run into problems gaining access to medical marijuana, said Marc-Boris St-Maurice, founder and president of the Compassion Club on Rachel St. Under the program, patients with a grave or debilitating illness must apply for a permit from Health Canada that gives them the right to smoke marijuana to control their chronic pain. They can either grow the cannabis or purchase it from Prairie Plant Systems in Flin Flon, Man. To obtain a permit, a doctor must fill a form attesting to the patient's debilitating condition. "There are many problems with access and incredibly long delays in getting a permit," St-Maurice said at a news conference. "Months can go by from when you apply ... and when you get it. Many doctors are still reluctant to sign the forms." Some patients who have been unable to pay for marijuana supplied by Prairie Plant Systems have to contend with collection agencies, St-Maurice also noted. "It's unfair for people who are sick and suffering to have to deal with the stress of a collection agency. That's why we're hoping that by getting the province behind the program, we'll avoid some of these problems." But an aide to Quebec Health Minister Philippe Couillard ruled out the possibility. "This is Health Canada's responsibility and there is no reason for that to change," said Marie-Eve Bédard, Couillard's press attaché. Philippe Laroche, a media relations officer for Health Canada, defended the federal program as compassionate. "Health Canada has an obligation to provide a consistent, high quality, legally available source of marijuana to people authorized under the marijuana medical access regulations," Laroche wrote in an email to The Gazette. "Health Canada is committed to providing compassionate access to marijuana for medical purposes to people who are suffering from serious illness, for whom conventional therapies have not worked and who have the support of their physician." St-Maurice said the Compassion Club has asked the Quebec Human Rights Commission to determine whether the rights of patients in need of medical marijuana have been infringed. The Montreal Compassion Club has about 1,000 members. The club operates in a legal gray zone, selling marijuana to those who have a permit from Health Canada or who have a documented medical need for it. aderfel@thegazette.canwest.com http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/
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