Pubdate: Wed, 16 May 2007
Source: Victoria News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 Victoria News
Contact:  http://www.vicnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1267
Author: L. Rebeccah-Jean Robinson

POT PERSPECTIVES GONE UP IN SMOKE

I have been seeing a lot on the news and in the papers over the 
rights of "pot smokers" these days.

Where are the rights of non-pot-smokers? I know folks personally and 
people I have just chatted with in the general public who've stated 
to me that pot smoke gave them head-aches, body pain and blocked 
sinuses when they did experiment with it or were just simply exposed to it.

I happen to be one of those people. I tried it in 2004 with a couple 
of friends as I heard all this new evidence that it takes body pain 
away. Well, it didn't. As a matter of fact, it gave us severe head-aches.

We all have fibromyalgia, chronic pain and arthritis and it only 
worsened our conditions. Also, our minds felt like vegetables and we 
were immobile for many hours to come.

There are many people now who possess exemptions to legally smoke pot 
and I'm sure there are those who don't abuse that privilege, however, 
there are those who do. And those who live in complexes are affected 
by that pot smoke in hallways and courtyards must know it's harmful 
to those like me.

I'm not a cigarette smoker, but I've also been hearing about how 
cigarette smoking is going to be illegal on ferry boats, parks (and 
patios for smoking that aren't hurting the non-smokers.)

Well, there's something pretty backwards in our society because 
cigarettes are not illegal. Also, they don't cause car accidents due 
to being high. Yet, thousands sat on the lawn of the parliament 
buildings recently, lobbying for pot not to be illegal and got stoned 
on pot. No one was arrested.

This system is unfair. I smell pot smoke downtown all the time now 
and there are no cops around enforcing the law; they're too busy 
confiscating knapsacks.

Anyway, all I am saying, is there are those to consider who feel 
completely the opposite about pot -- it truly hurts us; it doesn't 
help us; it hinders us; we're allergic to it and even though we may 
not be smoking it, we still have to be affected by it in our homes 
and on city streets. This society has become so politically correct 
that government has taken leave of its senses.

What about the children of parents who have tickets to smoke pot. Is 
this not going to affect and harm those kids in the long run? Does it 
give them a choice, whether they want to be exposed to it or not?

L. Rebeccah-Jean Robinson

Victoria
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