Pubdate: Tue, 15 Jul 2014
Source: Whistler Question (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014, Whistler Printing & Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.whistlerquestion.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1034
Author: Cindy Filipenko

POT'S POSITIVE POTENTIAL IS HARD TO IGNORE

A few weeks ago I wrote about the eternal issue of kids and booze. Now
it's time to talk about adults and pot.

I am always amazed by the number of people who, at some social
occasion, will puff on a joint with the caveat that their spouse
doesn't know. These people either have partners without a sense of
smell or they are deluding themselves.

A lot of people seem to assume that smoking pot is some kind of rite
of passage - a teenage folly that is put to rest sometime between
post-secondary graduation and signing your first mortgage. Smoking
marijuana is perceived as somehow not quite adult. Well I have news
for you: there are a lot of old people who dig it and a lot more that
need it. I'm one of them - I both need it and dig it.

A few years ago I received a federal license to legally possess this
rather innocuous weed. The reason? Killer arthritis - the type that
feels like your joints are exploding from the inside out. Although I
use traditional medical interventions for this bothersome condition,
smoking pot automatically addresses the pain and allows me to go about
my daily tasks. A puff or two and I'm good to go.

Initially, new license in hand, I tried growing my own with the aid of
a low-heat, plant-growth cycling LED light and a cabinet secured away
in my office. Also having an infrared sauna in my office, I felt
extremely west coast. However, the smell proved too great for my
family, so I hooked up with a medical marijuana company that sends my
monthly order via Canada Post. It's a company I like because it pays
taxes, employs a number of really nice people and provides a
consistently great product. (They also furnish tax-deductible receipts.)

Finding new ways to use this plant, like filling gelatin capsules with
THC/CBD-rich marijuana extracted in olive oil or making creams that
reduce inflammation and pain. I recommend the alternative forms of
medical marijuana to everyone I know who has either a sleeping
problem, joint issues, nerve pain or skin irritations. It's not
hocus-pocus, the efficacy of marijuana for many conditions has been
evidenced in many studies, some stemming as far back as the mid-70s.
It is known that certain compounds in marijuana can be distilled into
potent painkillers. There's proof that it is an effective
anti-spasmodic. The issues associated with smoking can be minimized
through vaporization or ingestion. It's non-addictive. Compared to
pharmaceutical drugs it's a downright benign substance.

 From staving off epileptic seizures to quelling the effects of
chemotherapy, pot is good medicine. It's also good for the economy.
Colorado, which began selling recreational marijuana this past
January, is expecting $184 million in tax revenues from marijuana
sales by June 2015. Washington State has just approved recreational
sales and is anticipating a similar windfall. And these figures don't
take into consideration the reduction in costs associated with
policing, court proceedings and incarceration.

It's been estimated that almost three per cent of B.C.'s economy comes
from the illegal sale of pot. What if we followed Colorado and
Washington's lead and legalize pot? This could mean at least another
$3.5 billion dollars that are ripe and ready for taxation. Imagine
what that money could do applied to healthcare or education? So why
not recognize the recreational use of pot, legalize it and profit from
its sale and distribution, just like alcohol?

So my fellow, responsible, middle-aged weed enthusiasts, come out,
make your case and spread the word. And while you're at it, please,
tell your spouse.  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D