Pubdate: Mon, 04 Mar 2013
Source: Daily Courier, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/5NyOACet
Website: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/531
Author: Tonya Aguiar

NEW POLICY ATTACKS THE SICK

I absolutely do not support the termination of the right for the
people of Canada to grow their own medical marijuana.

I realize some people have chosen to take advantage of this right by
obtaining legal growing permits so they can grow for the ultimate
purpose of illegally selling the marijuana for profit. However, the
Government of Canada is even more naive and ignorant than one could
imagine if it truly believes this issue will be dealt with by
eliminating these permits.

The majority of people choosing to grow marijuana for illegal
distribution are obviously not concerned with breaking the law as they
are already doing it by selling it illegally.

I have no doubt they will continue to grow marijuana without legal
permission from Health Canada. They did it before and they will do it
after.

Hundreds of Canadians use marijuana to medicate against illnesses,
including, but not limited to: arthritis, stress, spinal cord injury
and disease, epilepsy, cancer and MS. Whether one prefers to medicate
through naturopathic health or with modern medicine prescribed by
their doctor, everyone should have the right to choose.

Not allowing people to grow their own medical marijuana means they
will only be able to legally obtain marijuana from commercial,
government-sanctioned growers increasing the cost from an average of
$1.80 per gram to approximately $8.80 per gram.

At this unaffordable price, the government will essentially be
stripping this choice away from so many who have found the appropriate
medication that works for them.

Their only option is to either grow illegally, putting themselves at
the risk of having a criminal record and possibly worse, or to switch
to a prescribed, synthetic medicine, which for many people doesn't
work.

How we choose to medicate ourselves, whether by marijuana or
ibuprofen, has no negative effect on anyone else; so how does this fit
into our right to freedom? We should be allowed to naturally medicate
ourselves as we please, whether it is oil of oregano to help fight a
cold, chamomile tea for inflammation or marijuana for pain relief.

I do not use medical marijuana, but the idea of the Canadian people
being stripped of their right to grow their own medicine makes me
cringe as I know how much of an unfair and painful change this will be
for the people who do.

There is still so much discrimination against natural health in our
society and by passing this bill, the Government of Canada is
demonstrating it is against natural health.

The only ones who will truly lose out from terminating these permits
are the people who use marijuana for relief of pain, discomfort and
other ailments, not those who have chosen to take advantage of the
right to grow.

Tonya Aguiar, Kelowna
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MAP posted-by: Matt