Canada will not appeal ruling allowing patients to grow own pot

By Julie Gordon
VANCOUVER, March 24 (Reuters) - Medical marijuana patients
in Canada will regain the right to grow their own cannabis after
the government said on Thursday it would comply with a federal
court decision against a ban introduced by the previous
Conservative government.
The federal government said Canada's medical marijuana laws
would be rewritten to reflect the court's judgment, setting a
deadline of Aug. 24 to finalize the changes.
"We are committed, as you know, to making sure that
Canadians who require marijuana for medical purposes have
appropriate access to that," Health Minister Jane Philpott told
reporters in Ottawa, adding that the current law will remain in
place until the changes are finalized.
Philpott did not provide specifics on the planned
amendments, but noted the government was focused on addressing
the issues of accessibility and affordability.
In 2013, the then-ruling Conservative government overhauled
Canada's medical marijuana program, requiring that patients buy
their cannabis from licensed producers through a mail order
system, instead of growing their own marijuana.
That prompted a group of British Columbia residents to take
Canada to court over the ban, which they said was
unconstitutional. Last month, a federal court judge in Vancouver
agreed with them, striking down the ban.
Medical marijuana is a separate issue from recreational
marijuana in Canada. The Liberals, who vaulted to power in
October, have pledged to legalize and regulate the recreational
use of cannabis, though the time frame remains unclear.
Shares of medical marijuana producers were mixed on
Thursday, with Canopy Growth Co CGC.V closing up 2.36 percent
at C$2.60, OrganiGram Holdings OGI.V flat at 76 Canadian cents
and Aphria Inc APH.V down 1.29 percent to 77 Canadian cents.