MEDICAL MARIJUANA ROADBLOCKS CONTINUE TO FRUSTRATE

Dr. Alan Russell wrote in his letter, "The marijuana conundrum" (the
Medical Post, Nov. 15): "For multiple sclerosis or severe rheumatoid
arthritis, a specialist with an FRCP or an FRCS can sign a form for
the medical use of marijuana. I have yet to be able to find two
specialists in this field who will see a patient within a year and
who will sign a form."

Perhaps Dr. Russell is unaware of this (a great many doctors are),
but for severe pain in MS and RA, for intractable spasm in MS, and
for other "category 1" disease symptoms, the regulations state the
MMAR forms may be signed by any physician who knows the patient
(though the number of doctors willing to do so is small, for the
reasons he gave.)

There is a requirement for a specialist's knowledge, but not their
signature, for category 2 symptoms, however, meaning unless a patient
is in truly awful straits, legal access to marijuana as medication
can take a very long time to obtain--years, in some cases. Ask Terry
Parker, whose case brought the MMAR into being in the first place.

Dr. Russell also states, "I believe the current legislation is so
obstructive it denies the right of the patient in need of obtaining
the medication legally and in a reasonable time legally."

In this, the doctor is absolutely correct. Not only that; the medical
marijuana regulations were declared unconstitutional until five
important barriers to access were removed by order of the Ontario
Court of Appeal, but two of them were put right back in within weeks
of the law being deemed "fixed," meaning the law is again
unconstitutional as currently written.

- --Michael Muirhead

Queen Charlotte City, B.C.