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. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt