Pubdate: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB) Copyright: 2003 Winnipeg Free Press Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502 Author: Chris Buors GOVERNMENT MISGUIDED ON MARIJUANA ISSUE My sympathies were aroused by Jeny Forest, daughter of Jim and Susan Doerksen, when she reminds us her mother wanted to die to escape the daily pain the Manitoba medical system forced her to live with by refusing to give her proper pain relief over fear that Susan might become addicted. As the operator of the Manitoba Compassion Club, I have had occasion to meet several people who can put their pharmaceutical pain medicines away when cannabis is available to them. And I have also had occasion to meet people who contacted me but then declined to even try cannabis when the illegal status of what I do is explained. These people feared or respected the law to the point that they would sooner live in pain than break the law. The case for cannabis as a painkiller has been well established, even if the health minister refuses to believe it. It is absolutely despicable on the part of the Canadian government that cannabis, a wonder drug of the ages, is not readily available to Canadians. The bottom line is that all this goes on because our government fears a dragon of the state's creation officially called "dependency," but better known as addiction. Addiction has always been shown to be a myth, but that does not stop politicians from assuming the role of St. George. Susan Doerksen had to live in pain because society needs scapegoats to blame for social ills. I have long suspected that many suicides are triggered by state oppression causing unhappiness in people's lives. I wonder how many others decided there was no hope to be realized for pain relief from the state and killed themselves in the long six years since Susan Doerksen has passed on? Chris Buors Winnipeg - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin