Pubdate: Fri, 31 Mar 2017 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2017 Postmedia Network Inc. Contact: http://www.theprovince.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: Wayne Moriarty Page: 6 POT IS A WAY TO HELP ADDICTS TAKE THE EDGE OFF My father, who is 89 and lives with Alzheimer's disease, has always been longer on charm than wisdom. Despite the cruelty of his affliction, he remains the jolliest person I know. He flirts with the nurses; he flirts with the residents. His ability to recall names, faces and memories is profoundly impaired; yet, when presented with the opportunity to enchant and delight, the man just seems to effortlessly hit a switch and away he goes. It really is something to behold; I will miss this the most about him when he calls it a day. As for wisdom, it is not something this boyish fellow has shared much through his life. At least not with me. That said, he's not devoid of advice. There has been some attempt at guidance. Like, for example, "everything in moderation." That's his favourite. Even in the grips of dementia, if I speak with him about a problem I am having, regardless of the problem, his two cents will always be something that resembles "everything in moderation." So you know, I haven't lived much of my time heeding those words. I have written in this space before about my problems with alcohol. It's been 10 years since my last drink. That's a good thing. I am better at abstinence than moderation. In fact, on the matter of moderation, I fail spectacularly - again and again and again. I exercise too much. I stay up too late. I eat ice cream almost every freaking night regardless of the consequences this can have on a man of my constitution and vintage. I suspect this is the case with most addicts and alcoholics. We tend to give up one thing, only to pick something else. The art, it seems, is making certain that the new vice is less self-destructive than the old one. This brings me to an interesting bit of work being done in a Los Angeles addiction clinic where alcoholics and addicts are being rehabbed with marijuana. It's called "High Sobriety," and is a treatment option that ought to be given thoughtful consideration as more and more jurisdictions legalize pot. Joe Schrank is a co-founder of the clinic. He is a recovering alcoholic. In an interview with the New York Times recently, he argued the obvious and simple point that marijuana will not kill patients as opiates do. Moreover, he told the Times, pot gives addicts some sense of emotional control. There is no doubt in my mind that the ideal course of action for anyone who struggles with alcohol and/or drugs is to stop using alcohol and drugs. But clearly, that is not a model that works for everyone. Abstinence is hard. For people who simply can't quit the bad addictions and start exercising too much, a spectrum of treatments ought to be considered - including, most certainly, taking the edge off with a little pot. I say this even if the result is a marijuana addiction/habit, because, well, as problems go, pot is far less grim and self-destructive than both heroin and booze. Tonight, I will read this column to my dad. I do this whenever I reference him. I know already what his thought on the matter will be. It will be a good thought, a wise thought. "Everything in moderation," he will say. When the day comes, I will miss that guidance I have so wilfully ignored all these years. Almost as much as I will miss his charm. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt