Ever since marijuana was first banned in Canada under the 1923 Opium and Drug Act, dissenters have called the criminal penalties set for possession of the drug too harsh. Since May 1997, illicit drugs such as marijuana have been covered by the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which a growing number of people in Canada want scrapped. The Ontario Court of Appeal decided in July 2000 to strike down a federal law prohibiting the possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana. The court ruled that banning marijuana for medicinal purposes violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
One year later in July, Canada became the first country in the world to legalize the use of marijuana by people suffering from terminal illnesses and chronic conditions. Canada also became the first country to adopt a system regulating the medicinal use of marijuana. At the same time, Health Canada approved the Cannabis Medical Access Project, launching the country’s first legal marijuana growing facility. A deep abandoned mine shaft beneath a northern Manitoba lake, larger than three football fields, is chosen as for the high-security operation. But the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations, which went into effect July 31, 2002. The Supreme Court of Canada said in a decision on Dec. 23, 2003, that Canada’s laws against possessing small amounts of marijuana do not violate the Charter of Right and Freedoms and its protection of life, liberty and security of person.
After a year of passing the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations Act, medical marijuana clinics can procure their medicinal marijuana form the government. This was a direct contrast with what’s happening in the U.S. medical marijuana clinics. Dispensaries in the U.S. are constantly being raided by DEA and the efforts for the private medical marijuana clinics operators to generate a supply turned to the black market.
However, new problems arise. Since there are multiple variations of the compound generated by the cannabis derivatives that applies to different types of ailments, the government contracted planting facility could not provide more than 3 derivatives of marijuana. Medical marijuana clinics were forced to import variations in manufactured form from other sources. This increased the cost of the treatment and against the principle of the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations in providing cheaper and affordable option against expensive medication and pain killers.
In an unprecedented move to address to the issue brought forth by the patients, Canadian legislator Libby Davies has taken the initiative to demand a review for the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations Act in order to support the needs for medical marijuana patients. On June 19, 2008, MP Libby Davies wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister of Canada regarding Canada’s Medical Marijuana Program That Needs Reform. This move is the total opposite of the U.S. Federal Government where the state is even the lead party in going after and closing down medical marijuana clinics.
The Canadian Medical Association estimates that 1.5 million Canadians smoke marijuana recreationally. In November 2004, the Canadian Addiction Survey reported that 14 per cent of Canadians said they had used cannabis in the past year, about double the number from 1994.
Tags: medical marijuana clinic
Loading ...