Pubdate: Thu, 09 Jun 2011 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2011 Times Colonist Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: Marnie O'Neil Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n363/a08.html FALSE FEAR-MONGERING ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA Re: "Gangs using medical licences to traffic marijuana, police say," June 4. I would like to address the propaganda around the "number of plants" and medical marijuana. Farmers do not plant one carrot in preparation for fall yield. Marijuana is not easy to grow. It takes time to produce a healthy return of an effective strain. Plants die. Cuttings and juveniles are included in the numbers cited by police. Patients have to consider the cycle of growth to ensure medication is consistently available. It is a significant investment financially, physically and spiritually. For those living with chronic pain, incurable progressive or fatal diseases, hope and purpose play key roles in quality of life. The number of plants required to produce effective medicinal products (massage oil, etc.) is not taken into account by Health Canada. Spend time with people in pain, dying, watching their bodies decay before their eyes. Learn the safe, effective manner which marijuana calms and controls their symptoms with no complicated side effects, like no other options available. There will be abuse, but take a look at our "legal and safe" medication. Many of us have more prescriptions than needed in our cupboards. From those of us following the rules and still being harassed and lumped in with "gangs" for potentially having more plants than indicated on a licence, shame on Health Canada, police forces and the media for perpetuating propaganda and making patients increasingly ill by adding to the stress which is so deadly for them. Marnie O'Neil Sooke - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.