Pubdate: Wed, 26 Feb 2014
Source: Sooke News Mirror (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Sooke News Mirror
Contact:  http://www.sookenewsmirror.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2142
Author: Diane Penyige

INSULTING COMMENTS IRK POT PATIENTS

As new residents of Sooke, we have taken an interest in your local 
ways and news, and have nothing but good to say about this beautiful 
town, except perhaps some of it's reporters seem to indulge in 
spreading misinformation - specifically marijuana-related news as is 
our interest as medical marijuana patients.

Attacks on medical marijuana patients and their current plight is not 
only hurtful and belittling, but Mr. Fletcher seems to be making his 
stories up as he goes along. Where did he get his information? And 
how did he calculate the specific number of medical marijuana 
patients in any given area? By his own confession, these numbers are 
not known to anyone except Health Canada. Is Mr. Fletcher privy to 
private health information of this province's people? How does he 
know that half of the 38,000 patients live in B.C.? Sensationalism or 
propaganda? His words are sarcastic and by his own admissions 
baseless, since "Ottawa's bungled medical pot scheme conceals the 
location of licensed growers from provincial and local governments." 
Except Mr. Fletcher?

First of all, we, as Canadians have been given the right to grow our 
own herbal medicine and we take it seriously. We can now (until April 
1) control our own health, by growing organically and carefully 
choosing our seeds for strength and characteristics suited to our 
individual medical needs. We take an interest in our medicine and 
oppose corporate approach akin to big pharma. Now we live in fear of 
police raids on our homes, private medical information out there for 
public consumption, humiliation and ostracism. How has that made it 
any safer? For who? And who is Mr. Fletcher to decide what a "genuine 
condition" is? And yes, Mr. Fletcher, marijuana is a good medicinal 
remedy for your beloved pets too.

The RCMP Inspector is "going to go after all of them"? When in 
history have your medical records and private information been 
publicly displayed and challenged by police forces?

Mr. Fletcher's mentions of prisons and motor cycle gangs are 
completely irrelevant to the medical marijuana issue and is simply 
sensationalism and fear mongering without fact.

So. Now, "The police and fire department have proposed an amnesty or 
grace period, allowing people to disclose their location and have it 
properly dismantled without penalty, to help deal with the volume." 
All of the equipment that was hard won by months of saving for a 
better light system to increase our medication? Security for our 
homes? We didn't need security until Health Canada sent out our 
information for all of the world to see. And promises, that as 
patients, we would never have to deal with public knowledge of our 
conditions. This new system Health Canada has set up is done so that 
only the elite and those akin to big pharma will be considered for licensing.

Mr. Fletcher's insulting comments are just adding to the confusion 
about medical marijuana and Marc Emery's posted information which 
offers patients scientific studies and new research.

Dana Larson's Sensible BC campaign - far from ill-conceived or 
failure with 200,000 signatures, shows that a common sense approach 
to marijuana is warranted. In regards to medical compassion centres, 
and their pricing ... just another reason why patients need the right 
to grow their own medicine.

We are not criminals, we are just grandparents who live a very modest 
life. And, for the most part, the 38,000 patients Mr. Fletcher refers 
to, are simply that - patients.

So, in the end, people like Mr. Fletcher, who prefer to bury their 
collective heads in the ground, following the party line, instead of 
any real study or reporting of the astounding and mounting scientific 
evidence regarding the benefits of marijuana, will perpetuate the 
real farce, that he accuses the medical marijuana community of in his 
biased and uninformed view.

Good luck and good health to you Mr. Fletcher. Let's hope the police 
don't come to your home with boots and batons looking for your 
prescription of choice any time soon.

Diane Penyige Stop Reefer Madness Canada Sooke
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom