|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
Canada: Marijuana Study Political - Compassion Clubs
ccguide Tuesday 13 May 2003 Pubdate: Tue, 13 May 2003 Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU) E5483 Copyright: 2003 The Gazette, a division of Southam Inc. Contact: Website: http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274 Author: John McFarlane MARIJUANA STUDY POLITICAL: COMPASSION CLUBS Representatives from Canada's largest compassion clubs yesterday said Health Canada's committee studying medical marijuana exists for political, and not health care, reasons. After extensive lobbying, two compassion club representatives won an invitation to address the committee, which met yesterday in Montreal. Although dubious of the committee's goals, one of the compassions clubs' recommendations is that they be given a permanent seat on the committee. "The Compassion Clubs are stakeholders in the development of these regulations - we have been successfully providing cannabis to ill Canadians for over 6 years with no government involvement," said Hilary Black, founder of the British Columbia Compassion Club Society. "Members of that committee are deeply invested in the status quo of prohibition, and are influiencing the creation of these regulations which cater to prohibition, not to the healthcare agenda." Black and members of compassion clubs in Toronto, Montreal and on Vancouver Island also urged Health Canada's committee to adopt a more transparent approach, to decentralize regulation, and to give amnesty to all currently involved in the compassion club movement. "We have been and will continue to be spending precious resources battling the government in courts rather than providing access to medicinal cannabis," said Black, who noted that Vancouver and Nelson are the only clubs that haven't gone to the courts. Health Canada spokesperson Jirina Vlk said the committee's members do not represent groups and offer their expertise as independent members. "A Compassion Club representative would be a very different thing," she said. The committee was not officially discussing giving Compassion Clubs a spot, but Vlk said the issue could still be raised at a round table discussion. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!