Pubdate: Fri, 09 Feb 2018 Source: Morning Star, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2018 The Morning Star Contact: http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1352 Author: Kathy Bachman AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PM Dear Prime Minister Trudeau: I was wondering why you bother traveling all over the planet to climate change conventions to save the world from pollution but remain willing to return home and pass a bill that will cause our whole country to become polluted everywhere with the stinking, cloying smell of marijuana? That is OK for all you people who can afford a single-family dwelling where you can retreat, close the door and ignore the stink of the irritating smoke. But those of us who live in apartments, condos or other connected housing units aren't able to do that, leaving us at the mercy of our neighbours. Now we can at least, if someone is polluting our apartment building, phone the police and get help to stop the culprits. What recourse will we have when smoking pot is legal? We will be at the mercy of every pothead out there. So all those citizens young and old who have asthma, bronchitis, COPD or other respiratory ailments will just have to put up with increased respiratory ailments? Does this sound fair to you, that the privileged part of society wins again. Let me tell you I am not making this up. I have lived under these conditions and worse and so have others. When people come home after a hard day and want only to relax, eat dinner and enjoy their family and the evening ahead, they may not be able to because their neighbour potheads are already busy enjoying theirs. Their fun disturbs everyone else in the vicinity, including any young children present. Mr. Prime Minister, you have three little ones - would you want them to have to live under these conditions? Do we really need more drugs in our society? Do our children's minds really need to be assaulted with more toxins? If you had ever lived with a person with Alzheimer's disease, I guarantee you would never want to allow anything that would cause more injury to the neurons in their brain. At the present time, for the sake of respiratory-challenged citizens, the Weather Network reports on the condition of the air outdoors for people with respiratory ailments so they know whether to stay indoors or not. What are they going to do now when staying indoors and breathing the polluted air from marijuana smokers in your building might be just as dangerous for them as going outside? Just because a lot of undisciplined people want to ruin their health, why should the rest of us follow their misguided example? Please protect the weak, sick and the poor while you still have the opportunity. Kathy Bachman - --- MAP posted-by: Matt