WORRYING TO SEE PROGRAMS SLASHED

Re: Flaherty tries not to offend, Opinion, Sept. 26.

Ironically, if the message Stephen Harper's government wants to send
to the Canadian public is that they don't "toke up," eliminating the
medical marijuana research program sends the exact opposite message.
While the program is still going strong, allowing medical patients to
"toke up," axing funding for scientific research such as alternative
methods of delivery simply ensures that the most efficient way of
getting marijuana into the bloodstream will continue to be smoking.

However, in the case of the medical research program, there wasn't
much demand for funding in the last few years, as there has been only
one application. Lately, Canadian doctors have become excited by
marijuana research that has had some breakthroughs in the area of
glaucoma, which has been pioneered elsewhere.

More worrying is the slashing of the court challenges program, which
has aided some terminally ill and even bedridden Canadians to be
recognized as having grievous symptoms that are aided by cannabis and
avoid being raided by SWAT teams and thrown in jail (though that
still happens) for growing a few cannabis plants on their balconies.
Whether Liberal or Conservative, it seems our government placates the
voting public by playing a smoke-and-mirrors game to stay in power,
while linking our once proud and independent nation to an irrational
American moral hygiene world view.

Laura Young

Toronto