Pubdate: Wed, 07 May 2014
Source: Medicine Hat News (CN AB)
Copyright: 2014 Alberta Newspaper Group, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.medicinehatnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1833
Author: Kevin Quinlan

MPS SHOULD FOLLOW WILL OF THE PEOPLE ON MARIJUANA

Let me start out by telling you I would pass any drug test right now. 
I work for a company that urine-tests people at any incident. 
Somebody drives into my truck, I get the test. Somebody hurts me, 
both get urine tested. This I feel is terrible. If I smoke a joint on 
my days off, I shouldn't lose my job for it two weeks later.

I have ADHD and I've previously dealt with depression in my life. The 
amphetamines the doctors hand out like Skittles disagree with me 
strongly and the anti-depressants I've been on have done the opposite 
of their desired effect, often making me worse. In one case, when I 
was around 19 or 20, my mother took the happy pills away from me. She 
was concerned I'd be a danger to myself within the week.

The only thing I've ever had that had any positive effect on this was 
cannabis. I took it to start as a party enhancer, true, but I started 
using it properly and regularly when I realized I no longer had a 
"What's the point of it all?" feeling morning, noon and night. It 
also helps with the ADHD. No longer bouncing off the walls, I'm able 
to hold a thought, and to be able to focus, for lengthy periods at a 
time. And this the next day, when I'm not even high anymore.

Now, I realize somebody intoxicated at work is dangerous, especially 
in my job, and I back nobody to be high or drunk while operating 
heavy machinery or driving anything. Now before you ask, there is a 
way to tell if somebody is currently high. You use a cheek swab. It's 
what they use in Europe to tell if somebody is driving stoned. All 
they currently use for a test here is blood, hair, and urine (most 
common) tests. Urine and blood will test positive for the byproducts 
of THC consumption (not actually the drug) from between five to 35 
days after stopping, depending on multiple factors such as usage, 
metabolism, body fat percentage, etc. It is no indicator at all of 
whether someone is intoxicated at that time.

If I lived in certain states, I could obtain a medical marijuana card 
and be done with it. I live in Canada where better than two-thirds of 
the population supports outright legalization, neve rmind 
decriminalization. But the powers that be don't seem to recognize 
that this is a parliamentary democracy, that they should obey the 
will of the people. They recently passed a law enforcing mandatory 
minimum sentencing for possession while 67 per cent of the country 
demands to go the other way.

So I ask you, Medicine Hat, what do you think?

Kevin Quinlan

Medicine Hat
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom