Pubdate: Sat, 17 Sep 2016
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n615/a01.html
Author: Matthew M. Elrod
Page: 13

MARIJUANA REGULATION IS TRAGICALLY OVERDUE

Re: "More marijuana research needed," editorial, Sept. 13.

It should come as no surprise that the Medical Cannabis Research
Roundtable is calling for more funding for cannabis research. The
usual bottom line on most cannabis studies - and there have been
thousands of them - is that more research and research grants are warranted.

More knowledge and research never hurt, but in reality, we know far
more about cannabis than we do about many of the foods we consume, not
to mention food additives and pharmaceuticals emerging from the lab.

Studies intended to find the benefits of cannabis have been actively
suppressed, but there has never been a lack of funding for studies
intended to find harms, to retrospectively justify prohibiting
cannabis in 1923 with no science or debate beyond the bald statement
in parliament that "there is a new drug on the schedule."

Setting aside the costs of prohibition, suppose we discovered that
cannabis is as addictive as cheese, as impairing and criminogenic as
alcohol, as carcinogenic as roasted coffee and as demotivating as
Facebook. Would this knowledge justify our continuing to abrogate
control of this exceptionally dangerous herb to criminals and
teenagers who sell myriad drugs of unknown potency, purity and
provenance, on commission, tax-free, to anyone of any age, any time,
anywhere, no questions asked?

Or would it make some form of regulation even more tragically
overdue?

Matthew M. Elrod

Victoria
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MAP posted-by: Matt