MP Real Menard to join MP Libby Davies and Senator Claude Nolin in Med-Cannabis Protest and Press Conference on Parliament Hill
July 2, 2003 - Bloc Quebecois MP Real Menard will join fellow member of the House of Commons Special Committee on the Non-Medical Use of Drugs MP Libby Davies and Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Illegal drugs in a press conference and protest on Ottawaís Parliament Hill on July 9th. The action has been organized by various groups and individuals, including Canadians for Safe Access (www.safeaccess.ca), an action-oriented, medicinal cannabis patients rights organization.
On January 9th of 2003, Ontario Court Justice Lederman declared that the Health Canada Medical Marijuana Access Regulations (MMAR) were unconstitutional and therefore invalid for only providing the "illusion of supply". Judge Lederman gave Health Canada 6 months to rectify the situation, citing that by "forcing medically needy individuals to rely on black market marijuana ...the MMAR actually foster the criminal conduct they are supposed to be working against...".
July 9th is the due date for Judge Ledermanís court order, but rather than comply by finally beginning the compassionate distribution of cannabis, on June 27th Health Canada will seek to stay the decision pending appeal. It is unacceptable and unconscionable that a program specifically created to produce and distribute medicinal cannabis for critically and chronically ill Canadians should fight every court order to do so, while forcing participants to either suffer in silence or risk the dangers of acquiring their medicine through black-market sources.
Canadians for Safe Access has arranged a press conference at 11 a.m. in the Charles Lynch Room to address this continued injustice, and will participate in a protest scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. on Parliament Hill. A simultaneous protest is being organized by CSA and Maritimers Unite for Medical Marijuana at Parade Square at 12 p.m. in downtown Halifax (contact Debbie Stultz-Giffin: 902-665-2355).
For more information on this important event, please contact:
