Pubdate: Thu, 20 May 2010
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC)
Copyright: 2010, BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/948
Author: C.J. Heavey
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n358/a07.html

COMPASSION CLUB SERVICE NEEDED BY MEDICAL POT USERS

To the Editor,

Re: Club reopens to sell medical pot, May 13.

I'm in the process of going through another tiring  round with Health
Canada over medical marijuana, so it  was a relief to read Bob Estes
has opened a place to  obtain a better quality product and possibly
without  the hassles one encounters via Health Canada.

I find it incredulous how I can walk into a medi-centre  and
immediately obtain narcotics for my condition.

Narcotics that are addictive can damage the liver and  cause a host of
side effects. These damaging narcotics,  which have generously been
prescribed to me over the  years, can be refilled with ease,
discounted through  Pharmacare (which medicinal marijuana isn't), yet
they  never fully alleviated the ramifications of my  condition. And
they have the potential to cause me  other health problems due to
their side effects.

In fact, one federally approved drug caused me such  severe toxicity,
it damaged my liver and resulted in a  few weeks in hospital where a
nurse said I experienced  every side effect except coma and death.
Another reason  why I'd like to stay away from "approved" narcotics
that metabolize through the liver.

Since taking medical marijuana, my liver has healed.

To obtain a licence for medical marijuana prescription,  one goes
through a lengthy process. After all the forms  are printed, filled in
by the patient and doctor, they  can get lost in transition.

Then there are more forms to fill out to order one's  meds, submitting
to Health Canada, then waiting up to a  couple of weeks for a product
to arrive that I've  learned is of poor quality and possibly
contaminated.

When Health Canada says it will get back to you within  five business
days, it took 16 days to respond to say  my renewal is again lost.

The beauty of medicinal marijuana is it works. The pain  is relieved
within minutes rather than suffering up to  an hour waiting for a
nasty little narcotic pill to be  effective.

I can control the amount of marijuana I consume through  a vaporizer
that relates to the particular level of  pain I'm experiencing whereas
something like Oxycontin  is already formed into a particular dose
that may not  match up to my level of pain at the moment.

And the side effects from addictive, organ-damaging  pills are far
greater than what I consume through my  vaporizer. My medicinal
marijuana has helped me with  pain, seizure control, stress, nausea
and food intake.

Blessings to Mr. Estes for making things more  manageable, offering
other products (such as salves)  and bringing forth more awareness.

C.J. Heavey

Nanaimo
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake