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Straight Dope From Pot Prof
Pubdate: Thu, 28 Sep 2006
Source: NOW Magazine (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 NOW Communications Inc.
Contact: http://www.nowtoronto.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/282
Author: Doug Hutchinson
STRAIGHT DOPE FROM POT PROF
It Was An Ugly Process, But In The End U Of T Provided My Own
Ventilated Toking Room
U of T philosophy professor Doug Hutchinson, who won the right this
week to smoke pot during work hours for an undisclosed medical
condition, goes public about his travails in an open letter released
September 22 to U of T authorities, fellow philosophy professors and
graduate students.
Greetings, philosophers. I thought I should let you know that as of
this week our university has a professor who smokes marijuana openly
on campus, legally, and with workplace accommodation for his need to
use this remedy.
I am that professor.
I feel it falls to me to let you know this state of affairs in the
proper terms so that the inevitable rumours and possible slanders
that arise can be ignored or challenged by you, my peers and fellow
philosophers.
I have used marijuana for a serious and chronic health condition for
over 10 years, in varying amounts for the varying condition.
Currently, the use is heavy and the condition is stable or improving.
As for what this condition is, I would ask you please not to
speculate or spread rumours or half-truths. Canada has laws that are
meant to protect the privacy of personal health information.
If you know me well, you will feel free to ask.
How did I manage this transition from clandestine smoker to
officially accommodated one? It was an ugly process that started when
college and university authorities, acting on policies to repress the
use of marijuana among students, decided that they needed to enforce
those laws and policies against me as well.
Over the course of months of sometimes angry discussions, the other
side learned better what the facts of my case and the laws on
marijuana actually are.
The outcome is that I have been provided with a ventilated basement
smoking room in Trinity College, and the provost of the college and
the provost of the university have both written me letters in which
they "acknowledge" and "respect" my choice of therapy.
I take this opportunity to thank the college and the university for
this good solution and for these necessary affirmations of the
legitimacy of my conduct.
Colleagues and other U of T employees who may need adapted working
conditions due to a health condition should know that since 2003 our
university has had an Office of Health and Well-being Programs and
Services, whose function is to support the work of afflicted employees.
The staff in this office recommend the appropriate accommodation
while holding health information confidential from all other
university parties. I found this process worked fairly well, and I
feel that others should know about it and trust in its integrity.
Colleagues and others who use marijuana wholly or partly for medical
reasons should be using medical-grade marijuana, with a good
selection of strains, of which there are currently two sources of
supply in Toronto.
I know these compassion clubs well and will be glad to offer informed
advice. Colleagues and others who wonder whether their use of
marijuana is medical, or whether they should try some preparation of
marijuana for their health condition, should feel free to apply to me
for guidance and further information.
Professors who become known as heavy users of marijuana risk a great
loss of credibility, and I wish I had been able to remain discreet;
but I was "outed" by college authorities from where I was hiding in
my "dope closet."
Under these circumstances, I decided to come out fully into the open,
on my own terms. This is the reason I am writing this letter to you;
and this is the reason I explained the situation to my undergraduate
class on Tuesday, before they could be shocked (or not) at the sight
of me puffing during the break (outside the building, of course).
It would be realistic of me to expect a higher than usual degree of
scrutiny of my performance at this time; but rather than resent this
scrutiny, the better plan is to invite it. There are 10 spare seats
in my third-year class on Seneca, which meets from 10 am to 1 pm on
Tuesdays, and I invite visits to my class from graduate students,
colleagues and higher university officials to see for themselves
whether the pot-head professor is teaching well.
Please get in touch with me if you intend to visit; and if you wish I
will send you the Seneca readings for the day.
It is not a satisfactory defence of my Charter rights to have my
grudging authorization from Health Canada while students and others
are hounded as criminals for doing what looks like the very same
thing; this casts dark shadows of opprobrium on the blameless sick.
My experience in coming out into the open has rekindled my activism
on the marijuana front, and I am now building, with other Canadian
activists, fresh legal challenges to our Charter-defective and
previously invalidated prohibition, which seems to have been
miraculously resurrected in October 2003 .
I invite colleagues and others to join me in this liberal struggle.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine