Holy smokes! Once again Colin Mayes demonstrates to his constitutes he is living in the age of political dinosaurs.
A previous flawed and incorrect article spun a tale of global warming denial and now this poppy-cock about the harm of marijuana. I thought I was listening to the thirties documentary “Reefer Madness.”
Mr. Mayes’ facts are misleading at best and demonstrate just how out of touch he is with reality. According to the National Institute On Drug Abuse, “Research into the effects of long-term cannabis use on the structure of the brain has yielded inconsistent results. It may be that the effects are too subtle for reliable detection by current techniques.
“A similar challenge arises in studies of the effects of chronic marijuana use on brain function. Brain imaging studies in chronic users tend to show some consistent alterations, but their connection to impaired cognitive functioning is far from clear.
“This uncertainty may stem from confounding factors such as other drug use, residual drug effects, or withdrawal symptoms in long-term chronic users. However, at this time, it is not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or reflects an attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence.”
In other words, the jury is out when the medical community is polled on the negative effects of marijuana use.
As far as cancer causing elements in pot, research has shown that “a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers. Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time.”
The most compelling arguments for the legalization of marijuana comes from former Canadian attorneys-general, mayor’s and police officers. According to a recent article in the Globe and Mail, “four former B.C. attorneys-general lent their voices to the campaign to legalize marijuana.
They followed in the wake of Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and three of his predecessors, all of who called for the same thing.
Before them, it was an esteemed group of B.C. doctors specializing in drug policy. National associations representing police chiefs, doctors and lawyers have also called for the decriminalization of marijuana”.
If that isn’t enough, a recent national poll found that 66 per cent of Canadians think marijuana should be legalized; with 73 per cent British Columbians giving pot the nod.
Isn’t it time to stop wasting police resources and move on to more meaningful legislation?
Brent Applegath
