News (Media Awareness Project) - CN BC: LTE: Medical Cannabis Use Cannot Be Taken Seriously If Recreational Use P |
| Title: | CN BC: LTE: Medical Cannabis Use Cannot Be Taken Seriously If Recreational Use P |
| Published On: | 2010-12-15 |
| Source: | Kelowna Capital News (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2011-03-09 18:13:47 |
MEDICAL CANNABIS USE CANNOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY IF RECREATIONAL USE PROMOTED AT SAME TIME
The Dec. 12 issue of the Capital News carried a letter from self-described licensed medical marijuana user Russell Barth, of Ontario.
I am in favor of cannabis gaining popularity as a medicine because I believe it has huge therapeutic potential.
However, because of users like Mr. Barth, medical cannabis is rarely taken seriously. Mr. Barth's letter promotes the general use of recreational drugs by young people, and this does not reflect the attitude of people who are genuinely interested in promoting the medical use of cannabis.
Mr. Barth claims that there are no safety issues related to recreational drug use. He draws that conclusion because so few people are harmed from them in contrast to the enormous number of people that are harmed by alcohol and tobacco use.
While it is true that alcohol is arguably more dangerous and does more damage overall than other drugs, that's like saying it'.s O.K. for kids to play with razor blades, because playing with loaded handguns is so much more dangerous.
Mr. Barth must be living under a rock if he hasn't heard of the devastation brought on by drugs like crystal meth, heroin, cocaine and crack.
When I lived in Oliver I had the privilege of helping develop a crystal meth task force. During that time I learned that the average life span of a crystal meth user is about eight years. Eight years after you get hooked on meth 'eight solid years of absolute misery' you are likely to be dead.
That's not safe, and there's nothing recreational about parents going to a morgue to identify their child's body.
Please, Mr. Barth, stop associating yourself with the medical cannabis movement. You got your card, now be quiet. You are making medical cannabis recipients look like a bunch of potheads who just want to get high.
Meanwhile, people are suffering because doctors won't prescribe cannabis just because of the large number of recreational users with no medical need whatsoever, who jump on the medical marijuana bandwagon.
Those who take medical marijuana seriously do not need to be painted with the same brush as those who think it's just great for a high school kid to be taking ecstasy.
David Lynch,
Kelowna
The Dec. 12 issue of the Capital News carried a letter from self-described licensed medical marijuana user Russell Barth, of Ontario.
I am in favor of cannabis gaining popularity as a medicine because I believe it has huge therapeutic potential.
However, because of users like Mr. Barth, medical cannabis is rarely taken seriously. Mr. Barth's letter promotes the general use of recreational drugs by young people, and this does not reflect the attitude of people who are genuinely interested in promoting the medical use of cannabis.
Mr. Barth claims that there are no safety issues related to recreational drug use. He draws that conclusion because so few people are harmed from them in contrast to the enormous number of people that are harmed by alcohol and tobacco use.
While it is true that alcohol is arguably more dangerous and does more damage overall than other drugs, that's like saying it'.s O.K. for kids to play with razor blades, because playing with loaded handguns is so much more dangerous.
Mr. Barth must be living under a rock if he hasn't heard of the devastation brought on by drugs like crystal meth, heroin, cocaine and crack.
When I lived in Oliver I had the privilege of helping develop a crystal meth task force. During that time I learned that the average life span of a crystal meth user is about eight years. Eight years after you get hooked on meth 'eight solid years of absolute misery' you are likely to be dead.
That's not safe, and there's nothing recreational about parents going to a morgue to identify their child's body.
Please, Mr. Barth, stop associating yourself with the medical cannabis movement. You got your card, now be quiet. You are making medical cannabis recipients look like a bunch of potheads who just want to get high.
Meanwhile, people are suffering because doctors won't prescribe cannabis just because of the large number of recreational users with no medical need whatsoever, who jump on the medical marijuana bandwagon.
Those who take medical marijuana seriously do not need to be painted with the same brush as those who think it's just great for a high school kid to be taking ecstasy.
David Lynch,
Kelowna
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