Pubdate: Wed, 22 Apr 2015
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Times Colonist
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Tamsyn Burgmann
Page: B4

POT USE NEEDS AIRING IN FEDERAL ELECTION, SAYS EX-OLYMPIAN

VANCOUVER - On his average day, athlete Ross Rebagliati rises about
4:30 a.m., brews himself a cup of coffee and then stirs in the
ingredient he considers most crucial: honey infused with cannabis.

"I just wake up feeling great, looking forward to my workout. And it
takes care of any aches and pains from the days before," he said
Tuesday, before adding the medical-grade marijuana extract doesn't
make him high.

The Olympic medallist, who now runs his own medical pot company, said
he's convinced that educating citizens about the health benefits of
marijuana will make it so mainstream that legalization is inevitable.

"I've been waiting 17 years for this to happen."

Rebagliati expressed hopes the budding momentum will be seized by
politicians leading up to the October federal election, one day after
thousands across the country celebrated cannabis' biggest day, known
as 4/20.

"This election will make a difference," he said. "This is an
opportunity right now not only for political parties to open their
eyes to the necessity of cannabis, not only for the people as a
medicine, but now also as a political platform. It's become such a hot
topic that they just have to address it."

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau supports legalizing marijuana, while NDP
Leader Thomas Mulcair is in favour of decriminalization and the
Conservatives maintain that a full criminal ban continues to be warranted.

The Tories spent more than $7 million on a anti-drug advertising blitz
that concluded earlier this year, but Health Minister Rona Ambrose
denied it was a veiled attack on Trudeau's stance.

Rebagliati said his company, Green and Hill Industries, which markets
under the brand Ross' Gold, doesn't support any party, but instead is
on a mission to dispel the myths and reduce stigma of marijuana. The
biggest hurdle, in his view, is the U.S. inclusion of marijuana as a
Schedule 1 drug, which he says is preventing the Food and Drug
Administration from granting its approval as a legitimate medicine.

The 44-year-old father of two spent Monday, the day devoted to weed,
at a booth in downtown Toronto promoting his company, which has yet to
obtain licences to sell the drug yet. "Now that the scientific
research is out there, it's time to get that in front of normal
Canadians and people around the world," he said. "So that way they can
be comfortable with the idea cannabis is a healthy alternative in many
cases to pharmaceuticals and for other recreational drugs and alcohol
and tobacco."

He attributes the success of his company so far - which is touting a
line of elaborate glass pipes - to the 1998 Winter Olympics, when
controversy ensued after he tested positive for marijuana. The athlete
was stripped of his gold medal for snowboarding, but the drug was not
officially banned. The decision was ultimately overturned.

He claimed his athletic performance is enhanced by a compound in
cannabis called CBD, which doesn't create the high but instead is an
anti-inflammatory that reduces anxiety and pain.
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MAP posted-by: Matt