cannabisnews.com: Pass That Reefer; Grandma





Pass That Reefer; Grandma
Posted by CN Staff on April 10, 2005 at 15:00:19 PT
By Mary Kenny
Source: Times Online UK
United Kingdom -- Should 66-year-old grandmothers who bake cannabis cakes be punished by the law? I think not. And Mrs Patricia Tabram, from Northumberland, who makes such cakes (and casseroles, and soups), and supplied them to her neighbours, has duly been given a suspended sentence because the judge decided that she should not be a martyr to the cause of weed. Mrs Tabram is unrepentant, and says that cannabis helps with elderly aches and pains, so why not?
As it happens, this is a good argument for cannabis: that it has some medicinal application. As does heroin — based on opium, it remains the greatest of all painkillers. But I would also suggest that the question of cannabis presents a strong case for age discrimination. The medical evidence seems to be that cannabis, taken in moderation, does not necessarily have a destructive impact on older people. It might make them a little senile, a little earlier, if they overdo it, but it is unlikely to cause them to harm themselves or society by developing schizophrenia. The health dangers of cannabis are much greater for the young, particularly those under 18 — or worse, under 16 — as the researches of Professor Robin Murray of the Institute of Psychiatry in London have indicated. The brains of teenagers are still under construction, and are likely to be much more vulnerable to mind-altering substances. Certain young people, vulnerable to schizophrenic episodes, may have such schizophrenia (or other mental disorders) triggered by marijuana. Alarmingly, some psychiatrists are saying that we are facing a serious epidemic of mental illness because very young people are using cannabis, and it is disturbing their brains. The age at which cannabis is first smoked (or ingested) is the crucial factor in subsequent psychosis triggered by the drug. It is difficult to make a law that proclaims that something is acceptable at 66 but is not acceptable at 16, although we do have alcohol regulations which depend upon age qualifications. But as a matter of health education, it should be made known that a cannabis cookie baked by your hippy grandma is not half as harmful, if eaten by her peers, as it would be if taken by vulnerable teenagers whose own brains are not yet finished being baked. Here, at last, is an authentic case for oldies saying “do as I say, not as I do”. Source: Times Online (UK)Author: Mary KennyPublished: April 11, 2005Copyright: 2005 Times Newspapers Ltd.Contact: debate thetimes.co.uk Website: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/ CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #1 posted by global_warming on April 10, 2005 at 15:36:20 PT
Go Grandma
"United Kingdom -- Should 66-year-old grandmothers who bake cannabis cakes be punished by the law? I think not."What is the difference between a 66 year old grandmother and a 16 year old?The old lady and the young man, both share a place in this God given green acre, though 66 years have been much to some, the sight from 16 years, looks good, and those old tired people, can just hope, that something good will come from these youths, God only knows, we have tried..Oh, and by the way, There is little difference.gw
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