Canada to contest injunction allowing medical marujuana

The Canadian government said Monday it will contest an injunction allowing people to continue growing medical marijuana.

Earlier this month, Federal Court Judge Michael Manson ruled patients with licenses to grow marijuana, for their own use, could continue producing the drug despite new regulations that will ban the practice Apr. 1. Manson granted an application seeking to preserve the status quo until medical marijuana patients could challenge the new system in court.

The government agency Health Canada said Monday it will ask the Federal Court of Appeal to overturn the injunction.

Thousands of Canadians have licenses to grow their own marijuana for personal use, to ease the pain of diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other diseases, the Globe and Mail said Monday. The government has said marijuana growing at home poses hazards including toxic chemicals, fire and home invasion, and plans to allow only select commercial producers to grow marijuana and mail it to medically-approved patients.

Health Canada said in the appeal statement, “We want to remind Canadians that marijuana is not an approved drug or medicine in Canada. Health Canada does not endorse its use.”

It is unclear when the federal appeal of the injunction will be heard by the Court of Appeals.

[Globe and Mail]