LETTER: Kids should learn the truth about marijuana
Re: “Public schools are plagued by pot,” The Leader, Oct. 31.
As a federal medical marijuana licence holder who is also married to one, I would like to complain about the misinformed letter by M. Brian.
Apparently, if teens don’t hear the truth about how drugs will screw up their chances of having successful futures, they will commit crimes to feed their habits or sit on the couch for the rest of their lives.
Not everyone who uses illegal drugs has their lives ruined. In fact, the legality of any given drug makes no difference; only about five to seven per cent of people who use any given drug will develop a problem with it. Legal drugs are proven to be far more dangerous and deadly than illegal ones.
As for teachers allowing kids to give presentations on legalizing marijuana, I think this is wonderfully progressive! The more kids learn about marijuana, the more they realize that the government, police, churches, teachers and media have all been systematically lying to them.
And it is not a “fact” that pot can cause people to develop schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Recent reports from England linking pot and metal disorders pointed to a correlation, not a cause.
Cannabis has dozens of medical applications, including alleviating asthma, glaucoma, arthritis, depression, menstrual cramps, muscle spasms, depression, HIV/AIDS, hep C, cancer and so on. My wife has epilepsy and I have fibromyalgia. We both use cannabis daily, and have experienced nothing but vast improvements in our lives.
I hope the government never legalizes pot. And the local drug dealers thank you for your efforts. If pot were ever legalized, there would be quality control, dose regulation and age restrictions. M. Brian doesn’t want that, apparently preferring the fear and loathing approach.
Russell Barth
Federal Medical Marijuana
Licence Holder
Patients Against Ignorance and Discrimination on Cannabis
Ottawa
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