Hundreds of medical marijuana patients in Canada are suing the
federal government for allegedly violating its own privacy laws and
potentially disclosing the health information of tens of thousands of
Canadians, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
In 2013, around 40,000 patients were mailed information about changes
to Canada’s Marijuana Medical Access Program. The envelopes bore the
program’s name, revealing that the recipients were medical marijuana
patients.
"It exposed people's sensitive personal health information in a way
that was completely unnecessary and, at least in my view, they did so
very carelessly," David Fraser, a privacy lawyer with McInnes Cooper in
Halifax, Nova Scotia, told the CBC. The law firm is looking to organize
the 399 complaints filed so far into a class-action lawsuit. “The use of
medical marijuana is still stigmatized in some places and in some
communities,” he said.
Health Canada, the department that runs the country’s national public
health system, said the mailing was a mistake. A judge will decide
whether the class-action lawsuit can proceed.
Medical marijuana became legal in Canada in 2000, when a court
overturned a law prohibiting marijuana use for patients. However,
cannabis remains illegal in the eyes of the federal government. “Health
Canada does not endorse the use of marijuana, but the courts have
required reasonable access to a legal source of marijuana for medical
purposes,” the health department said in a statement
last year.
“As a result, the Government of Canada believes that this
must be done in a controlled fashion to protect public health and
safety.”
The government is in charge of issuing licenses to medical patients
and cannabis growers. Medical marijuana is bought directly from licensed
producers and is delivered to patients through the mail. Costs range
from $5 to $12 per gram, according to Leaf Science.
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