Pubdate: Wed, 26 Feb 2014
Source: St. Albert Gazette (CN AB)
Copyright: 2014 Great West Newspapers
Contact: http://www.stalbertgazette.com/section/sag0999
Website: http://www.stalbertgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2919
Author: Alan Murdock

TIME TO CATCH UP WITH MARIJUANA ISSUES

The first commentary that I penned 11 years ago this month for the St.
Albert Gazette was entitled "Marijuana - The Fun Drug". Except, of
course, it wasn't. At that time I called for the Canadian senate to
take on an evaluation of the whole matter. I reckoned that it was a
subject worthy of sober thought. It hasn't taken it up and some may
wonder if the House of Senate is capable of having a sober thought so
long as the PMO is in control of the puppet strings.

Nonetheless, the time has come for Canada to look at how we should
deal with the issue of the production control, legal marketing and
public access of marijuana in our country. The timing, as so often
happens on major social matters, is being driven by external factors
where we are playing catch up to what is happening south of our border.

President Obama set the new tone of American government executive
thinking when he soft-pedaled the deleterious effects of marijuana
recently. Stating his review of the "scientific evidence," he told
America that he would not want his daughters to smoke pot but left it
open in terms of reasons. He also opened the way for handling of the
money raised at sales outlets of recreational marijuana by exempting
federally chartered financial institutions from the prohibition of
being bankers for illicit drug handlers.

One might then conclude that marijuana is no more dangerous from a
health and public safety point of view than tobacco or alcohol. And
indeed he, and many of the rest of us, is hopeful that some extract of
marijuana plants may soon prove to be medically beneficial.

Unfortunately, we are not yet at a point in our knowledge of the
biological effects of the 60 cannabinoids that are found in marijuana
plants to determine what components and dosages are medically and
biologically helpful.

We do know that the plant's principal ingredient Tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC) can be permanently destructive. THC inhaled in pregnancy can
cause childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Exposure to
THC under age 18 years causes drops in IQ which appear to be
irreversible. It impairs both short term and long term memory - again
on a permanent basis. Smoking marijuana has been reported to be a
factor in psychosis. THC is also addictive. It is not a benign
substance when it floats around the developing brain of human beings.

At the same time, some elements of marijuana - such as cannabidiol -
in liquid form may help control intractable seizures in children. Some
cannabinoids are reported to benefit patients with multiple sclerosis
and post traumatic stress disorder, improve appetite in chemotherapy
patients, and provide pain relief in a variety of acute and chronic
pain conditions. We just don't yet know which, how many or how much of
the 60 to use safely.

President Obama has allowed the scientific community to look at this
plant in a much less menacing manner. He put politics before sound
public policy but, in the long run, may have inadvertently changed the
focus of dealing with street drugs from a criminal to a public health
issue.

Meanwhile, as we stumble along trying to catch up, it's still not too
late to find a positive use for the Canadian senate - even in its
present constitutional state.

Alan Murdock is a local pediatrician.
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MAP posted-by: Matt