Canadian AIDS Society Call for Endorsement

Hello Compassion and Cannabis Clubs,


Cannabis as Therapy for People Living with HIV/AIDS


As most of you know, the Canadian AIDS Society released a report entitled Cannabis as Therapy for People Living with HIV/AIDS: â??Our Right, Our Choiceâ?�, as well as with an Executive Summary of the report, on June 14th, 2006. These documents are available at
<www.cdnaids.ca/cannabis> .

Call for Endorsement of Recommendations
We are calling on organizations to consider officially endorsing the recommendations put forth in the document. The recommendations propose ways to address the barriers to access to medicinal cannabis, which were identified through an extensive consultation with people living with HIV/AIDS across Canada.

We make recommendations for improvements to the current federal medical cannabis program, and to the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations. We also propose ways to ensure access to a safe, legal and affordable source of cannabis.

We are enclosing a suggestion for a motion that could be discussed at your organizationâ??s next board of directors meeting, if this applies. Feel free to amend this motion as you see fit. Once completed, please forward a copy of the motion or a letter or endorsement to me by mid-September 2006 at:



Canadian AIDS Society
Attn: Lynne Belle-Isle
190 Oâ??Connor Street Suite 800
Ottawa ON K2P 2R3

Tel: 613.230.3580 (126)
Fax: 613.563.4998
E-mail: [email protected]
www.cdnaids.ca

Thank you for your work and continued support,
Lynne

[align=center]Motion for Endorsement
of the Recommendations as Proposed in the
Cannabis as Therapy for People Living with HIV/AIDS:
â??Our Right, Our Choiceâ?� Report[/align]


Whereas surveys reveal that 14% to 37% of people living with HIV/AIDS use cannabis to help manage symptoms such as loss of appetite, wasting, nausea and vomiting, pain, anxiety, depression, stress and others;

Whereas the Government of Canada has established a program through which people living with HIV/AIDS and other seriously ill Canadians can obtain an Authorization to Possess and a License to Produce cannabis legally for their medical purposes, under the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations;

Whereas a recent consultation of people living with HIV/AIDS across Canada by the Canadian AIDS Society revealed that only 26% of people who currently use cannabis as part of their therapy had obtained an Authorization to Possess from Health Canada;

Whereas the same consultation revealed that 85.5% of current medicinal cannabis users were obtaining their supply through illegal sources;

Whereas a person has a constitutional right to access the therapy of their choice, whether herbal or pharmaceutical, without fear of criminal prosecution, and the freedom to make decisions that are of fundamental personal importance without undue interference from the state, as guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; and

Whereas many people living with HIV/AIDS and other seriously ill Canadians are having to break the law and be exposed to the inherit risks of dealing with the black market to obtain a supply of cannabis for their medicinal use;

Therefore let it be moved that our organization, ________________________, actively supports the recommendations put forth by the Canadian AIDS Society in its report entitled Cannabis as Therapy for People Living with HIV/AIDS: â??Our Right, Our Choiceâ?� to address the barriers to access to both the federal medicinal cannabis program and to a safe, legal and affordable supply of medicinal cannabis.




_________________________________________ ________________
Signature and Title Date

Motion for Endorsement was included in the email. I posted it separately so you can print and sign and mail to the Canadian AIDS Society.

Canadian AIDS Society
Attn: Lynne Belle-Isle
190 Oâ??Connor Street Suite 800
Ottawa ON K2P 2R3

Tel: 613.230.3580 (126)
Fax: 613.563.4998
E-mail: [email protected]
www.cdnaids.ca