Recently the use of Marijuana for medicinal purposes has been in the news ALOT (at least where I live) and in Canada the government has passed a law allowing this to occur and has (if I heard correct) been distributing it to people who use it to control pain in cases where they are ill or were seriously injured. (this is just some insight to what I want to discuss).

Recently in the news I read an article where people who live in the US and use marijuana for medical reasons (grow their own) have been charged with possesion and distribution. THese people have moved to Canada and are living here and growing their marijuana and doing it freely as they use it for medicinal purposes.

THe thing is by living here they are protected from having to face the charges brought against them by the US UNLESS they are extradited( is that the right word?) back to the US.

I am appaled by this. Although I approve of the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. I think it needs to be in a very controlled situation and that people should not be able to grow HUGE amounts of it in their homes (as was made apparent in the article I read) the man had a ROOM full of the plants.

I also feel that if they face charges in the US they should not be able to come to canada and be protected from those charges. I think that it sends the wrong message about Canada and creates friction between our two countries. It also gives people who commit crimes the wrong idea.

How do you feel about this. Both the use of marijuana as medicinal and these people who are facing charges and have fled to canada and are safe so to say.

By Sunny on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 10:34 am:

I don't know why the US has NOT legalized marijuana for medicinal reasons (only), but I think it's long overdue. When I think of terminally ill patients who are missing out on a potential treatment for some of their symptoms, I get angry and can understand their motives for moving to Canada to use it without fear of breaking the law. But, I do have a problem with them growing their own. Do I understand correctly that these people are not prescribed marijuana by a Canadian doctor and are instead medicating themselves? It's not against the law there to grow your own marijuana?

No, they should not be protected in another country if they have fled this country after being charged, but I do see that way of thinking. (I was born during the Vietnam war, but didn't Canada get our "draft-dodgers", too? How did your country react to that?)It's a shame they don't stay in this country and fight for approval of this drug to be used medicinally, because I don't see anyone else doing the fighting for them.

By Catherin on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 10:57 am:

It is against the law here to grow your own. What a good point. I am going to have to do some more reading up on that. Maybe I can find out if the laws are different regarding the growing it for medicinal purposes. Many GROW Ops have been shut down here and it is a constant fight and often a long one. I hear on the news often how long it took the police to infiltrate and close it down and recently they shut down a crack house where many murders occured and it took them (from what I heard) a couple of years and supposedly people were tortured there etc. but that's a whole other topic.

Whether they are self medicating or medicating under the advice of a doctor the article did not say.

I do agree with you that it is a shame they do not stay and fight.

By Joan on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 03:34 pm:

I read somewhere, I'm not sure if it was in the U.S. or elsewhere. I saw on t.v. where a man was found growing his own and had a room full of mature plants. The police confiscated all but 1 or 2 plants. He was told that he could not have a room full because that was seen as he was dealing, but he could keep a couple for his own use. I thought this was odd.

By Ginnyk on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 06:23 pm:

I have mixed feelings on this topic. On the one hand, every medical report I've read says that the substitutes the government says have the same effect don't, and marijuana seems to have a very helpful effect for people with active AIDS symptoms, people in chemo, and other conditions.
But, I just about kicked my son out of the house and threatened to kill his supplier when I found out he was "doing pot". And marijuana use does seem to have long term effects, though not like the "hard" drugs.
I wish the U.S. would go back to the medicinal marijuana program, in which they supplied people who had gone through medical recommendation and screening with marijuana in narrow quantities as recommended by the doctor (and it was all marijuana confiscated from dealers).
Personally, I've never been tempted. I was at a friend's house once when they started passing around a joint so I tried it, and it had little effect - I decided I prefer Scotch, because I know how certain quantities will affect me and I can control the process by controlling how much I do or don't drink.
But I found the whole scene a bit ridiculous - sitting around in a circle, passing this cigarette around, and such a solemn ritual. I was able to get out the door before I started giggling.

By Karen55 on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 07:42 pm:

I'm on the same page as Sunny on this one.

By Catherin on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 09:11 pm:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/background/marijuana_legalize.html

By Catherin on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 09:12 pm:

http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/medicalmarijuana/

By Catherin on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 09:13 pm:

These two pages cover some of the laws in Canada and some debates and other info about the medical uses of marijuana.

By Cybermommyx4 on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 11:39 pm:

I think if it is to be legal for medicinal purposes, then it should be able to be obtained at a pharmacy just like other narcotic drugs (oxycodone, morphine, etc.) I think that people at the end stages of a terminal illness should be allowed whatever relief they can obtain, as long as they are not hurting others in the process. I don't see much difference between them getting pharmaceutical-grade marijuana vs. morphine or anything else. Any of those can be abused when in the wrong hands.

By Karen55 on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 07:25 am:

SO true!

By Annie2 on Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 09:28 pm:

It is legal already in many states for AIDS patients, chemo patients, etc. In the pill or liquid form. It relaxes them and gives them the added appetite stimulant to have an appetite want to eat.

I THINK the controversy lies in the fact that people want to SMOKE it for medicinal purposes. I may be wrong.

By Ginnyk on Sunday, March 31, 2002 - 05:55 am:

Annie, the problem, I believe, is that the pill and/or liquid which are supposed to contain the active substance in marijuana (or a chemical substitute for same) don't have the same action/effect as smoking actual marijuana, at least according to doctors who have been involved in this and certainly according to the people who have both smoked and taken the pill/liquid. The controversy, I believe, is that the feds don't want any use of actual marijuana. The feds do say that this substitute drug does the same thing, but the persons using it say it doesn't.
Not having taken or used either, I can't tell, but I am willing to take the experience of doctors and patients at face value.