Pubdate: Tue, 12 Oct 2004
Source: Abbotsford News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2004 Hacker Press Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.abbynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1155
Author: Eric Myrholm
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

Marijuana Still Harmful

Editor, The News:

"Shake the tree and see what drops out." This seems to be the result of my 
letter of Sept. 2 in which I listed some facts regarding the hazards of 
marijuana use.

The letter appeared to have hit a "raw" nerve in some of the pro marijuana 
activists,as it brought out the "heavy hitters."

I would like to thank them for bringing to my attention that I have been 
mislead by the prohibitionists with their well researched facts.

My dilemma is: Should I believe the information from the pro-marijuana 
activists and researchers, many of whom may be users who feel that they 
need the drug?

Or should I believe the anti-marijuana researchers who have nothing to gain 
except trying to ensure that the health of the public is the priority?

Who should be believed?

Someone who feels they must have access to the drug? Or someone concerned 
about the safety and well-being of society? It concerns me that Chris 
Bransfield refers to stronger marijuana as "more medicine."

Marijuana is a drug, not a medicine.

The letter writers seem to feel that anyone who does not read pro marijuana 
drivel is out of the "loop."

As a matter of interest I keyed "marijuana" into the net and found that 
there are more than five million references on the subject, most of them 
extolling the wonders of marijuana and slamming anti-marijuana views.

As I am not academic, I leave the research and reports to the professionals.

There are some sites which outline the hazards of marijuana, backed up by 
research reports: www.mfiles.org and www.nida.nih.gov/ I am sure that there 
are many other sites.

The final observation and question I have is: For many years tobacco was 
widely used and has now been found to be highly addictive and very harmful.

There have been several lawsuits for many millions of dollars.

If marijuana is legalized, and in a few years when the dangers of the 
product becomes obvious, will not the government who legalized the product 
be the one to be sued?

Think about it!

Eric Myrholm
Abbotsford
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