Pubdate: Wed, 23 Jul 2003
Source: Medicine Hat News (CN AB)
Copyright: 2003 Alberta Newspaper Group, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.medicinehatnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1833
Author: Matthew Hulett

LITTLE MARIJUANA PROPAGANDA GOES A LONG WAY

A little propaganda about marijuana to go with my prescription? How quaint. 
Do you think Health Canada will include this passage from a major drug 
policy work:

Canadian Senate Report on Marijuana Policy, Volume One, circa 2002, page 
165, "In total, based on all the data from the research and the testimony 
heard regarding the effects and consequences of cannabis use, the committee 
concludes that the state of knowledge supports the belief that, for the 
vast majority of recreational users, cannabis use presents no harmful 
consequences for physical, psychological or social well-being in either the 
short or the long term." Why not include that passage my Canadian friends?

You state Health Canada has been long opposed to marijuana used as 
medicine. Uh, Dana Cooper, I know you are isolated and confused up there in 
Medicine Hat, but it was Health Canada under Allan Rock that started this 
program. It is Anne McLellan who is trying to play the stalling game and to 
kill the program. It is false conservatives who have done this consistently 
throughout the past 40 years.

I wonder how long it will take to finish this manual? Long enough for their 
appeal to be heard? This situation is sickening. I hope the courts slap 
Health Canada -- and slap them hard.

Consider this: A superior way to consume cannabis has been around for many 
years. It is called vaporization. People who oppose cannabis use 
consistently ignore vaporization as a consumption technique.

Basically, the vaporizer heats the cannabis material to about 190 degrees, 
which allows the cannabinoids to come off the plant material in a vapor 
without combusting the plant material and creating undesired irritants.

In fact, I just read a good article tonight addressing this form of 
consuming cannabis. It was titled Legalize medical pot in N.Y. and was 
written by Richard Brookhiser. It can be found online at 
www.nydailynews.com/07-20-2003/news/story/102193p-92506c.html

If you go Googling on marijuana and vaporization, you will find much 
material on this topic.

Health Canada is now being run by a fraud. Allan Rock called her on her 
lies when she stated Health Canada never intended to distribute the 
marijuana produced in Flin Flon. I am depending on your courts to do what 
false conservatives cannot handle, which is to deal with the truth and take 
the sick and dying off of this battlefield.

Live long and prosper, Dana of Medicine Hat. We, the outsiders, will do you 
no harm. We come in peace to educate you because you apparently cannot read 
scholarly works in drug policy on your own. You are welcome.

Matthew Hulett

Brick, N.J.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens