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Fraser Health Authority Urged to Push Needle Exchanges Into Hostile Cities

Injection drug addicts are at much greater risk of catching and spreading disease in the Fraser Health region because health authority officials have failed to deliver on the promise of their harm reduction policy, reform advocates charge. They say access to needle exchanges, safe injection sites and methadone clinics is much poorer than in the Vancouver area – largely due to opposition from hostile city councils and police forces who think an abstinence policy is best.

Doctor Calls Ontario's Methadone Program Oppressive and Discriminatory

A Toronto doctor says Ontario's methadone program for addicts is "oppressive" in the way it discriminates against patients and forces them to give up their privacy. Patients who are prescribed methadone for addiction to drugs such as heroin or morphine are shackled to the health-care system and must sign away their privacy rights in exchange for treatment, Dr. Philip Berger told a legislative committee.

Guns and Grow-Ops: Conservatives Should Be Consistent (Opinion)

Tom Flanagan, a professor of political science at the University of Calgary and a former Conservative campaign manager, opines on why he thinks conservatives should be more consistent, and re-examine their views about an issue that is more important than the long-gun registry – prohibition of mind-altering drugs.

6-month Delay for Medical Marijuana Permits Stressful: MD

Patients seeking to use medical marijuana are being forced to wait as long as six months by Health Canada because a backlog of permit applications, says British Columbia's Dr. Gwyllyn Goddard. Because of the delays many patients buy pot illegally while they wait for the official government permit.


What if California makes marijuana legal?

California's Proposition 19 on whether to legalize marijuana has fueled a debate among bloggers and pundits over this question: Because Canada exports a large percentage of its marijuana to the United States, could legalization in the U.S. cripple the Canadian economy?

Police Raid of Medical Cannabis Dispensary Puts Patients at Risk (Press Release)

For Immediate Release: August 5, 2010

Police Raid of Medical Cannabis Dispensary Puts Patients at Risk

Yesterday, Cannabis as Living Medicine (CALM), one of the most well- established medical cannabis dispensaries in Canada, was raided by police in Toronto for the second time in five months. In the last couple of months, a dispensary in Guelph, another in Iqaluit, and several in the province of Quebec were also raided.

Canadians for Safe Access, a national patient advocacy organization, is denouncing these raids. The result is that thousands of Canadians suffering from MS, Cancer, HIV/AIDS, arthritis and other critical and chronic illnesses have lost an important source of their medicine, laments Rielle Capler, a researcher and co-founder of the organization. They will have to go to the streets or suffer without their medicine. Capler adds, Rather than leave these dispensaries vulnerable to police raids, CSA is calling on Health Canada to work with them to develop regulations that would ensure their protection as well as the highest quality of care for patients. Our government should be supporting patients to access the best possible medicine, and supporting the organizations that are providing this vital service."

While the use of cannabis for medical purposes is constitutionally legal in Canada, the Federal Governments program, which provides licenses to patients for legal possession of cannabis, does not provide an adequate legal source of this medicine. Government statistics show that only about 800 of the 4000 licensed medical cannabis users access the governments supply, which is considered by many to be inferior. Research indicates that over half of license holders acquire their cannabis from dispensaries, which currently supply high quality medicine to an estimated 20,000 Canadians with critical and chronic medical conditions.

Medical cannabis dispensaries, also know as compassion clubs, have played a vital role supplying safe access to cannabis for the critically and chronically ill in Canada for over 12 years. These organizations provide access to a variety of high quality cannabis strains and preparations that can effectively alleviate pain, muscle spasms, nausea, anxiety, and other serious symptoms. Compassion clubs are also at the forefront of academic peer-reviewed research on medical cannabis in Canada. Well-run dispensaries are appreciated by patients, accepted within communities, and their work has been lauded by various court  rooms across the country.

Contacts:

Rielle Capler 604-818-4082- [email protected] Philippe Lucas 250-884-9821 [email protected]

Marijuana legalization may harm Canada's export economy

A thriving marijuana industry has aided Canada's economy, but it is almost completely dependent on U.S. exports. Various agencies and economists agree that marijuana is Canada's largest cash crop ($20 billion per year) and the industry employs 250,000 in British Columbia alone. Now, political shifts in the U.S. and at home are now threatening this boost to Canada's economy.

Press Release: MP Keith Martin Introduces bill to decriminalize marijuana

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 1, 2009 CONTACT: Dr. Keith Martin at [email protected] or 613-996-2625. Liberal Health Promotion Critic Keith Martin Introduces Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana OTTAWA - Tomorrow, Liberal Health Promotion Critic MP for Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, Dr. Keith Martin, will stand in the House to introduce a bill to decriminalize marijuana. "The "war on drugs" approach, characterized by zero tolerance, has been a complete failure. It has not reduced the rate of violent crime or drug use, nor has it saved money or lives. To realize meaningful change on our city streets, we must decriminalize the possession of small amounts of pot. This will cause drug abuse to be addressed in the public health system, rather than through the courts. It will sever the connection between organized crime and drug users. This bill is bad news for criminal gangs because it would collapse of the demand for drug products," said Dr. Martin. Dr. Martin has worked as a doctor in detox programs and has seen firsthand the effectiveness of harm reduction structures such as decriminalization and drug substitution programs. His Private Member's Bill would introduce fines for the possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana instead of criminal charges. Nationwide studies and House Committees have found that federal drug and crime policies are not working to reduce drug trafficking and they overwhelmingly point to this course of action. Drugs and drug trafficking would still be illegal, but drug users would be brought into the public health system instead of being tried in court and sent to jail, where users often come out dependant on more serious drugs. Additionally, the monies now allocated to law enforcement for possession of small amounts could be redirected to youth awareness programs and public policies that discourage drug use. "In the medical profession our first principle is 'do no harm'. We are actually doing terrible harm if we continue to address substance abuse uniquely as a criminal issue from the federal level. The blinders have to come off; we have to take a medical perspective if we are going to turn this thing around." Dr. Keith Martin is the Member of Parliament for Esquimalt - Juan de Fuca and the Health Promotion Critic for the Liberal Party. He is a physician who worked in detox, and alcohol and drug rehabilitation centers for 14 years. -XXX-
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