Pubdate: Wed, 15 Nov 2006
Source: Quesnel Cariboo Observer (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Quesnel Cariboo Observer
Contact:  http://www.quesnelobserver.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1260
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1520/a04.html
Author: Carl Anderson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)

TESTS GO BOTH WAYS

Re: Let's face it, marijuana is harmful, Feedback, the Observer, Nov. 
5, Drug tests weed out abusers, Feedback, the Observer, Nov. 8.

The former writer, Todd, is clearly misinformed, as the gateway 
theory has been disproven for about a decade now. In my case, medical 
marijuana effectively led to me stopping taking far more harmful 
prescription narcotics altogether. It is possible, but far from 
proven conclusive that cannabis use is bad for the lungs. So is 
breathing the air in many major cities around the globe today. Shall 
we prohibit breathing, or air?

I disagree with Paul Drescher's letter. He states, "chemicals in 
cannabis marijuana will remain embedded in your bodily tissues for weeks."

This poses a question for me. How does it benefit a company to know 
whether someone has smoked marijuana within the last three weeks? If 
they had a test that revealed cannabis usage in the previous 16 
hours, then I would say the test would be justified if an accident 
had taken place; however, under the current testing conditions it is 
very relevant when the person was using marijuana. You simply cannot 
destroy peoples' lives because they had a toke at a party sometime in 
the past three weeks to a month.

Finally, what about myself? Being a legal federal medical marijuana 
exemptee, should I be held accountable under this three to four weeks 
prior "zero tolerance" policy? Yes, I am and the word to describe 
that situation is discrimination.

Carl Anderson

Kamloops
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman