CFCF: The issue of medical marijuana is back in the news today concerned over access and other problems. The Montreal Compassion Centre is recommending a number of measures to try and deal with all those problems and further the cause of sick Quebecers who benefit from the therapeutic use of marijuana. Herb Luft joins us now and Herb, what is the Compassion Centre saying today?

REPORTER: Well the Compassion Centre which here sells 15 types of marijuana to members who have a whole range of medical issues, says that there's a big problem, in fact, a lot of problems with Health Canada's program. Access very restricted in many cases takes months in order to get a permit, if you can get one at all. Sometimes limited types and questionable types of therapeutic marijuana to name a few. Now, the Compassion Centre is calling on the Quebec Human Rights Commission to determine if the rights of those who should use it are being violated or they are protected under the law and it's recommending that the Quebec health department take over the medical marijuana program from the feds, or at least launch their own saying it is a health issue that is under provincial jurisdiction so they should launch one. Now, the Compassion Centre says it proposed that Quebec take it over about six months ago, but Health Minister Couillard says he wasn't opposed to it, but wanted some type of clinic trial proof that there was some benefit to it. So today officials at the Compassion Club [sic] laid out a number of those international studies that proved that there is benefits of therapeutic use on various illnesses. Here are two of the officials. The manager of the local Charles Bilodeau and the president and founder Marc-Boris St. Maurice.

CHARLES BILODEAU (Manager, Mtl. Compassion Centre): We believe that this proof will be enough to legitimize our cause and get us out of this gray zone.

MARC-BORIS ST. MAURICE (President, Mtl. Compassion Centre): Part of the problem and why there's a gray area is we need more research and we can get the provincial government to open up and you know, start more research programs...fund it...and we could even find more funding but I think we'll be able to get around the restrictions that are going through the federal government right if we did it, you know, locally.

CFCF: Now Herb, how many people are we actually talking about who use marijuana for medical reasons?

REPORTER: Well, it's unclear Todd, but the Compassion Club here says across the country in various Compassion Clubs they have 10,000 members, 1,000 alone in Montreal, only a handful of those actually have the federal health permits, the rest do have doctors notices that they have the problems that can be used by...relieved by medical marijuana. Thirty to 40 people come in every day looking for various types of marijuana. The Compassion Club here has been operating for nine years. It is a gray area, not entirely legal, but that's why they want the Quebec government to kind of open the doors to that, have the studies that might further their cause. Todd.

CFCF: Alright, Herb Luft, thanks very much.

REPORTER: You're welcome.

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2004 H.U.M.A.N.: Hemp Users Medical Access Network - Toronto Medical Marijuana