Pubdate: Wed, 17 Jun 2015
Source: Sackville Tribune-Post (CN NK)
Copyright: 2015 The Sackville Tribune-Post Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.sackvilletribunepost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/768
Page: 6

EXPRESSED OUTRAGE MISSES THE POINT

We'll concede Canada's Supreme Court justices are not medical experts.
Ditto for most politicians. So the potential benefits of medical
marijuana aren't the issue in the recent court ruling, it's a matter
of what products should be available to users. The federal government
sure gets itself tied up in knots over every instance of altered
regulations for the drug.

Health Minister Rona Ambrose, commenting upon the decision, said she
was outraged. Reflecting the general outlook of the Conservative
Party, she's concerned about increasing normalization of marijuana -
also about judges making decisions on a substance whose medical value
is still disputed. That suggests we need more research on marijuana
and its purported health effects. Ambrose might want to tell us what
the holdup is there.

In that regard, recent claims described the chill this government has
put on scientists and research - or at least research on which it
would just as soon avoid publicity. Do studies on medical uses of
marijuana fall into this category? That would be a shame.

As for allowing medical users to ingest products, considering the
risks of inhaling smoke of any kind, it's not surprising some who use
marijuana for medical reasons would rather eat a pot-infused food or a
concentrate.

There is concern medical marijuana could find its way into the hands
of non-licensed users. It would be one drug on a long list of
prescription drugs that are abused. It is a problem, one involving
controls on pharmaceuticals and law enforcement. So far it hasn't
resulted in taking the raft of painkillers and sedatives off the market.

Instead of outrage, let's have more research and trial
use.

Testimonials about symptom relief are not medical proof, but are
optimistic signs about medicinal benefits. Attempts to move forward
shouldn't be mire in politically based prejudice.
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MAP posted-by: Matt