Canadian officials gave final approval Wednesday to regulations that will allow qualified patients to grow and possess marijuana for medicinal purposes. The new guidelines take effect on July 30.
Health Minister Allan Rock said that Wednesday’s decision was a “landmark in our ongoing effort to give Canadians suffering from grave and debilitating illnesses access to marijuana for medical purposes. This compassionate measure will improve the quality of life of sick Canadians.”
Canada is the first country in the world to adopt a federal regulatory scheme for the possession and use of medical marijuana.
Under the new law, terminally ill patients or those suffering from symptoms associated with a serious medical condition may apply for a federal license allowing them or their designated caregiver to possess up to a 30-day supply of marijuana. Non-terminal patients must possess the recommendation of a general practitioner and a medical specialist certifying that they have found all alternative therapies to be ineffective. Full text of the pre-published regulations is available online at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb-dgps/therapeut/zfiles/english/schedule/gazette.i/ma rihuana_e.pdf.
Health Canada also announced Wednesday that it will commence clinical trials on the efficacy of smoked marijuana for patients with the AIDS wasting syndrome, and that the government will use confiscated marijuana seeds to begin growing pot for research purposes. Health Canada had intended to import marijuana seeds from the U.S. government, but Washington officials refused to allow their exportation.
Canadian officials hope to have 185 kilograms of marijuana by December to use in clinical trials.
For more information, please contact either Keith Stroup or Paul Armentano of NORML @ (202) 483-5500.
