I would like to congratulate and thank Rory White for his letter (May 6) on the legalization of marijuana.
I can enlighten him on some of the human costs that legalizing marijuana will have.
Firstly, the overburdened health care system will have greater costs and there will be different legal costs as well. I am surprised that the mayor, who is a doctor, hasn’t considered the health issues involved in the regular use of marijuana.
Prolonged and regular use of marijuana can cause psychosis and mental illness, especially for those who are predisposed to mental illness (have the genes/runs in families).
B.C. bud is so potent these days that psychosis will be a real issue. Psychosis includes delusions and hallucinations which will affect the user’s behaviour.
If the deterrents Mr. White talks about are removed, there can be more serious consequences. Australia has one of the finest mental health systems in the world and has done studies on this exact issue. Prolonged and regular use can lead to schizophrenia.
Besides, marijuana is a depressant and stays in the system a lot longer than alcohol. It is a false belief of mentally ill people that marijuana helps them. In fact, it will make their illnesses worse as will alcohol, which is also a depressant. Self-medication becomes an issue.
I am not against the medicinal use of marijuana as I know there are some cancer patients and people who suffer from chronic pain who benefit from the use of marijuana. Usually, these people have tried everything and this is the only thing that works.
But, I wouldn’t want to see the changes in behaviour legalization would bring. The police will be needed to control illegal behaviour that might not have happened otherwise. We already have enough problems dealing with drunk drivers.
Remember, our brain chemistry is a fragile thing. Anything we put into our bodies affects the brain chemistry which causes mental illnesses, whether it’s good or bad.
I just believe hasty decisions are being made without the full picture.
Pat Harding, M.Sc.
Vernon
