The First Time I Kissed MMAP's Ass

100416- Appeal to Rosenberg

ocs-bsc@hc-sc.gc.ca         

harpes@parl.gc.ca: Aglukkaq.L@parl.gc.ca;morris_rosenberg@hc-sc.gc.ca

cc:     Morris Rosenberg        Deputy Minister

         Stephen Harper:          Prime Minister

         Leona Aglukkaq          Minister of Health

Why is the Vancouver Dispensary selling Afghani Hashish as Medical Marijuana?

I hope the Subject Line Caught your attention. That is just one of the questions I had for Ron

                                                                                                   

To: Medical Marijuana Access Division                   From: Blaine Barrett

Attn: Ronald Denault- Manager                               MMAD No.: AP-BLB-03B0751153442-09-A

Attn: Morris Rosenberg   Deputy Minister

Reference: My E-mail to you of Mar 31, 2009 regarding problems

                  My application for Renewal of my Permit to Possess

                  Your letter of refusal to accept same. dated April 14, 2010

Dear Mr. Denault:

What is this? Revenge for comment and criticism? I filed my Application for Renewal because your division has screwed up to the point where the backlog of applications, including those for renewal have a 10 week waiting period and I was forced to file early to avoid a gap in my ability to purchase marijuana. That is your fault. I can only assume that you matched my Application for Renewal to my letter of criticism and decided to punish me for the audacity of being pissed off with the way that the MMAD is performing.  Despite this 10 week waiting period you have, subtracting mailing time, in the miraculously miniscule time lapse of only two weeks you have managed to screw me and require the submission of a complete new application for a goddamn renewal because my General Practitioner signed my renewal instead of my Neurologist. I would have thought you would have answered my previous letter of criticism before you went to all the trouble to dig in my file and send me copy 2 of the photograph I sent you a year ago with my original application. I appreciate the attempt to save me the trouble of getting a new photo but that doesn’t quite compensate for the screwing I’m getting because you are not doing your job. I’m not going to accept this from you because I think it’s an abuse of your authority as a manager and the denial of my renewal is a result of personal spite on your part.

Just so everybody on the receiving end of this little commentary knows exactly what I am talking about I have attached a copy of that criticism and I suggest they take a damned good look at it before continuing.

Attn: Mr. Rosenburg

I am appealing to you Sir, to address the matter on my behalf. You be the judge. You’re the Senior Civil Servant and probably the only one of the recipients of this Appeal who has the faintest idea of what can be done to help me. I would like to request you to overrule Mr. Denault and accept my Application for Renewal as submitted. There is no justification for it’s refusal.

Per Mr. Denault’s refusal letter the primary reason is that my Original Application was signed by my Neurologist and my General Practitioner signed my Renewal Application. There is good reason for that. The MMAD has performed such a good job of promoting the Medical Marijuana concept to the Medical Community that when I asked my GP to sign my application; he was so paranoid about consequences for him that he refused. He was completely ignorant of what was involved and he wasn’t going to sign anything that might cause him a problem. Accordingly I approached my Neurologist and he approved my application based on three main complaints:

1. I have infrequent but painful right leg sciatica from a 1999 L4/L5 disc herniation.
2. As a result of WCB treatment for my disc I wound up with double depression: dysthymia combined with major depressive periods. These are when I need marijuana most to hang on to reality by augmenting my Wellbutrin 150XL
3. I have Myasthenia Gravis. now

There has been absolutely no change in my medical condition with the exception of my myasthenia gravis. The addition of marijuana to my prednisone and azathioprine in June, 2009 has apparently assisted with bringing my myasthenia gravis under control. I saw my Neurologist last winter and he finally felt he could discharge me as his patient. After three years of fearing another myasthenic incident when I’d strangle to death on a glutinous slime ball I’d inhaled and couldn’t cough or gag out of my airway, I can finally relax and stop feeling paranoid about another incident whenever any swallow feels funny.

When time came to get my renewal signed, given the previous refusal by my GP I did not approach him but contacted my Neurologist and requested he approve it. Because he had discharged me he could not do it unless I went to my GP, was refused but was given another referral back to him. Pending that, he advised me as to how I should approach my GP and request his signature. He also corrected some misinformation regarding the obligation of Canadian Doctors to help applicants as follows:

 National Post 
Published: Saturday, February 27, 2010
“If a patient finds that inhaled cannabis helps with a medical condition (any medical condition), he should see his MD armed with: a signed Canadian Medical Protective Association's liability form, a Criminal Records Check, a urine drug screen and full addiction screen. If the doctor refuses to fill out the form, he should be informed that all provincial medical colleges mandate that doctors must then direct patients to an MD who can provide that service. It's up to the doctor to fill out the forms or find a doctor who will -- it shouldn't be the patient's problem.

Dr. David Saul, Toronto”

Unfortunately, despite its good intent its very bad advice and shows that ignorance of the state of the regulations regarding marijuana is not confined to my GP in BC but has a better intentioned but equally ignorant counterpart in Toronto. It seems it’s a national problem

Armed with this misinformation I prepared for an appointment with my GP and I was ready to rub his nose in Dr. Saul’s advice. My Neurologist thankfully corrected my information. According to the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons a physician here is under no obligation to sign or refer a patient to another physician when it comes to marijuana. I wish it were otherwise but while the College has issued a bulletin regarding the obligation to provide a signature, I see no attempt on their part to educate their membership as to what MMAR is all about or why their signature is being required. The doctor is not being requested to agree to, recommend, diagnose, prescribe or or exercise any medical capacity or knowledge. The signature of the doctor is to certify that he had an appointment with the patient and, at the behest of Health Canada, in response to the patients request for his signature, delivered a canned package of bullshit warnings and cautions about the unknown benefits of smoking marijuana and the terrible decision I am making. I am a 68 year old senior citizen, and I have been familiar with pot since my hippie days and I resent the hell out being required to go to my GP again.

The remainder of Dr. Saul’s advice is equally wrong except for the advice regarding the Canadian Medical Protective Association's liability form. That is good advice and it can be downloaded from the Web, The provision of a Criminal Records Check, a urine drug screen and full addiction screen is extremely bad advice. It is none of his business. The submission of these documents would be stupid because they are not required by Health Canada and their addition is overkill that can arouse suspicion in an already paranoid practitioners mind. Why provide documents that could bring on a judgment when judgment is not wanted? Bring the liability form to relieve his fears because it absolves him of all responsibility. Give him the B1 and make him read it in detail and try and educate him as to how marijuana helps. My 10 minute appointment to request his signature required over 30 minutes of explanation of the realities of medical marijuana. 10 years after its legalization for medical purposes my doctor was under the impression the only justification for medical marijuana use was if the patient was either terminal or an extreme regimen of oxycontin, morphine or heroin had failed to cure his pain. He finally agreed, signed my renewal request, charged MSP for my visit and charged me $20 for filling the form. I don’t think that returning to him and telling him that Health Canada rejected his signature is going to be too successful in gaining a second one from him. Apparently over the past 10 years Health Canada has failed to contact Canadian doctors to inform them of the fact and fallacies regarding medical marijuana. Instead you have intentionally promoted the continuation of professional ignorance and now I’m suffering the consequences of that action.

The other problem with my application is that it does not contain a Form E1.

The opening paragraph of Form E1 reads “ This form is to be completed by applicants who wish to obtain dried marihuana only from Health Canada”.

I have no intention of buying my marijuana from Health Canada because what is supplied is about the equivalent of dried horse turd with matching potency and one size fits all selection. I have no intention of signing a Form E1. To do so would be to commit perjury and give you lot grounds to terminate my claim at will.

Mr. Rosenberg, I am requesting you accept my Request for Renewal as submitted. I don’t have $20 surplus to again pay for a form that is required simply by stupid bureaucracy.

Regarding the photo I didn’t get signed by my doctor I can assure you that I am who I am and that my appearance has not changed. Why you needed my doctor’s confirmation as to my appearance is beyond my understanding. You already had my photo on file. I fact you sent me back one that wasn’t required out of the two demanded for my first application,

What am I suppose to do with it?

I would like your advice as to how I am supposed to handle this and I need you to expedite your response. I filed 12 weeks early because of a 10 week backlog in application processing. Mr. Denault’s refusal to accept has blown four weeks, and I am still facing that ridiculous 10 week backlog of applications. I need fast action because at this point my permit expires in 8 weeks and as of today I am facing a two week hole in my medication that gets longer every day.

I leave it in your hands and await your response.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of my request.

Best Regards

Blaine Barrett