cannabisnews.com: Lifting The Haze Lifting The Haze Posted by FoM on October 07, 1999 at 08:33:56 PT Editorial Source: Montreal Gazette This week, Health Minister Alan Rock announced that another 14 Canadians will be allowed to consume marijuana for therapeutic purposes, while the government will spend several million dollars to fund clinical trials on the therapeutic value of smoking pot. At the same time, Bloc Quebecois MP Yvan Loubier called for a crackdown on Quebec marijuana growers. Meanwhile in Toronto, the federal government was in court, arguing against the use of marijuana as medicine. The case involves a Toronto epileptic who uses marijuana therapeutically. Although he earlier won the right to use marijuana, the federal government appealed. On the criminal-proceedings front, Marie-France Lahaye, 32, successfully argued Tuesday that she was under the influence of marijuana she had smoked when, five days later, she drove the wrong way on a Quebec highway, causing a car crash in which two people were seriously injured. Is marijuana dangerous? Or useful? What is a government supposed to do if it is both? There is no consensus, either in Canada or the United States, on whether marijuana has legitimate medical uses. A two-year study done by 11 independent experts at the U.S. Institute of Medicine found that marijuana appeared to be effective in treating the pain, nausea and severe weight loss associated with AIDS. (They also found that the benefits of smoking marijuana were limited because the smoke itself was so toxic.) The researchers, who published their report in March, disagreed with the position, traditionally held by Canadian and American governments, that marijuana was the gateway to the use of harder drugs. Yet as Mr. Loubier pointed out, organized crime, in Quebec at least, has moved into the illicit marijuana market. If marijuana isn't the gateway to the use of harder drugs, it seems to be the open door through which organized crime plans to muscle its way to a profitable market. Indeed, Mr. Loubier says that he and his family have been threatened by organized crime over his stance. He paints a frightening picture of armed criminals invading Quebec's family farms where, uninvited, they are growing potent marijuana plants and intimidating farmers to keep silent. Colombia, home of the drug cartels, started off this way: illegal plantations, threats against politicians and judges who dared to speak out. Law-enforcement authorities should slam the door as fast they can on this kind of activity. It will require more resources and more effort. But, at the same time, the government will have to draft legislation that allows it to legitimize marijuana use for therapeutic purposes, while keeping it illegal in all other circumstances. Thursday 7 October 1999Montreal GazettePot Suppliers May Get a Break - 10/06/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3180.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 07, 1999 at 09:21:49 PT All Drugs Are Toxic! Every drug has a side effect including marijuana but this shouldn't even be an issue. Medicine, prescription drugs, over the counter medicine, all have toxic side effects. If the quality of the marijuana stays very high then less smoke will be needed to be taken in to get the desired effects! They must get off this kick about toxcity!!No one believes it anymore in my opinion! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Thomas on October 07, 1999 at 08:59:43 PT Toxic?? "They also found that the benefits of smoking marijuana were limited because the smoke itself was so toxic."This is quite a liberal interpretation of the IOM report. The IOM report said (to paraphrase) that it did not see a future in smoked marijuana. So from this we get the statement above. This is careless journalism. People who make a living putting words together should be more careful.When the IOM report says that it found cannabis to be not particularly harmful, we get the the word "toxic" (which according to my thesaurus means poisonous, lethal, or deadly) in a news report. Is it any wonder the media has no credibility? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: