CANDIDATE MISLEADS?

During an all-candidates meeting aired by Shaw TV Channel 10 on April 28
["Candidates gather at wire," April 25], Dana Larsen of the Marijuana Party
was stating that his political party's agenda was about people being
allowed to have the right to choose their own treatments. Marijuana should
be legalized so people could use it without being criminally charged. Mr.
Larson made a comment regarding the increased use of Ritalin. Where is the
missing information?

Ritalin is a medication used as a treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder
(ADD). This disorder often manifests itself in poorly regulated behaviour
that can infringe on the rights of others. This behaviour pattern is a
symptom of the disorder. The root cause of the disorder is a chemical
imbalance in the brain. Stimulant medications such as Ritalin increase the
levels of chemical activity and help reduce the severity of the symptoms. I
once had a parent ask me about using marijuana on her child to tone down
the hyperactive impulsive behavior because it is "organic." Is smoking a
healthier alternative for kids?

Let's compare the symptoms of ADD with the side effects of chronic use of
marijuana. ADDers have trouble staying motivated to finish uninteresting
tasks. Chronic use of marijuana decreases motivation.

ADDers are usually developmentally delayed and are behind same-age peers by
three or more years. Chronic use of marijuana arrests personal growth which
is why users in their 30s and 40s act more like teenagers.

ADDers have poor short-term memory, as do long-term users of
marijuana. Marijuana would appear to exacerbate the symptoms of ADD,
making it a poor remedy. Ritalin has some undesirable side effects but they
pale in comparison to the social rejection and innuendo the kids and their
families endure. As a prescribed drug, it is not life threatening nor
addictive. My child used it for five years. I have known people who are
addicted to marijuana.

The Church of Scientology allegedly has been largely responsible for the
negative propaganda of Ritalin. They became a church for taxation purposes
rather than religious convictions. I attended a provincial conference on
ADD in May 2000. Speakers disclosed that the Church of Scientology had been
charged and convicted of tampering with the stock market. The stocks they
tampered with were Ritalin and Prozac.

Marijuana has some medical properties for pain management and stimulating
appetite. Leave this to the medical community to investigate. As for
Mr. Larsen, your comment about Ritalin was taken out of context and is
deliberately suggestive. It is also ignorant, irresponsible, and
detrimental. You used Ritalin as a cheap trick to create a lot of smoke.
I'm not inhaling.

Several years ago my child was given six squares of chocolate which turned
out to be Ex-Lax.? I kept this child home from school for a few days
because the stimulant medication would compound the effect of the laxative
as well as increase hyperactive behavior. The point of this little story is
to just use good common sense.

Leslie Browett - Marine Avenue