Pubdate: Thu, 22 Jan 2015
Source: Parksville Qualicum Beach News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Black Press
Contact:  http://www.pqbnews.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1361
Author: Glenda Barr
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n043/a05.html

PERSONAL STORIES ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Re: 'Police say dispensary is illegal,' Jan. 20 edition of The NEWS.

Indeed, cannabis dispensaries are illegal. Unfortunately, this is a
bad law that causes a great deal of suffering.

We have a court-ordered program in Canada to provide access to medical
cannabis, but Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government is not
supportive of cannabis as medicine and has created a program that is
cumbersome, with many time delays, at best, and completely unworkable
at worst.

A personal story might help the readers who have not been exposed to
the issue to understand the need for this service. After writing a
letter to the editor in support of cannabis issues, I received a phone
call from an elderly Nanaimo man. He recounted his story of his wife's
struggle with breast cancer and how the chemotherapy drugs had a
devastating affect on her joints.

She was in constant, extreme pain, and cannabis was the only thing
that would alleviate this pain. He asked about a source for
medical-grade cannabis and I referred him to Phoenix in Nanaimo.

Perhaps a week later, I got another call from this man. He sounded
happy and relieved and offered me thanks for taking a great deal of
pain away from his family. He had gone to Phoenix, got the medicine
his wife needed and she was doing much better. The entire family
benefited, because those who care about the patient also feel the pain.

Phoenix provided immediate access to the medicine required, as well as
knowledgable advice.

The patient was enabled to take pleasure in life again. Is this not a
worthy service? Shouldn't our police resources be used to deal with
real crimes that make our streets unsafe?

Glenda Barr

Lantzville
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MAP posted-by: Matt