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Government to Supply Pot: Doctors Still Told Not to Sign Forms

Source: MedicalMarihuana.ca online staff - 07/09/03

Health Canada announced today it will distribute government grown marijuana to patients across Canada for medical purposes.

Through court order, the federal government and Health Canada have now been forced to supply patients with a consistent supply of marijuana.

On January 9th, 2003, Ontario Superior Court Justice Sidney Lederman said the federal government must find a way to "provide for a legal source and supply" of marijuana for medical purposes. He gave Health Canada six months - until July 9th, 2003 to provide access to marijuana.

However, doctors and specialists must sign lengthy Health Canada forms for patients to access marijuana. The Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Medical Protective Association have told all doctors across Canada not to sign patient's forms for access to legal medicinal marijuana.

So the marijuana is not as accessible as most people think. Because doctors and specialists are refusing to sign the Health Canada forms, patients are still unable to access the herb for their own medicinal use.

Patients across Canada who wish to try marijuana for medical purposes experience problems and frustration getting their doctor to sign the government forms.

Most doctors refuse to sign the forms because the regulations demand medical declarations that few doctors are willing to provide, given the liability and legal consequences.

Unfortunately, Health Canada has not yet addressed this problem of the doctors as gatekeepers, so the whole system of cannabis access remains illusory.

Patients cannot get legal access without specialist's and doctor's consent.

Patients across Canada wait for Health Canada to make marijuana accessible, and most are doubtful based on Health Canada's and Health Minister Anne McLellan's track record on medical marijuana issues.