Pubdate: Tue, 11 Dec 2012
Source: Daily Courier, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/5NyOACet
Website: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/531
Author: Alan Blanes
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n623/a05.html

'ABSURD' ARGUMENTS ABOUT MARIJUANA USE

Re: Salomon Rayek's column "Pot legalization a bad message to send to kids."

Salomon, your arguments are absurd. An authentic harm-reduction 
program that allows marijuana only for necessary prescription 
alternatives has had support among physicians.

Back in the 1980s, there was a list of 17 doctors in Edmonton who 
would prefer to prescribe pot than synthetic drugs for pain management.

The work of Dr. Mate has overwhelmed objections to providing access 
to substances in a controlled rehab program that gets at the 
addictive motivations.

When people who think they are defending moral strength claim 
criminals will gravitate to harder narcotics if marijuana is 
legalized, their premise has no validity.

If we followed a harm-reduction rehab regime, such as Portugal's, we 
would provide a health-based route away from crime and self destruction.

To advocate the current policy is to institutionalize criminals as 
the controllers of many addictive substances. The government has to 
face its destructive basis for its policy.

Alan Blanes, Kelowna
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom