ANTI-MARIJUANA LETTER WAS JUST 'UNEDUCATED BLITHER'

I am in shock that the Lethbridge Herald would actually print any form
of this balderdash Mr. Oler (June 5 Letter to the Editor) is trying to
come across with.

Marijuana is not addictive. I am myself a recovered addict of many
forms and am working on getting off caffeine, which is more harmful to
your body than cannabis is. Every second ad on TV is for a drug that
is OK for you to take as long as it is coming out of a bottle and the
money is going to the big pharma company!

I also suffer from chronic pain with colitis, and I find my body
suffers no side-effects unlike with the opium-based morphine or
Vicodin that is highly addictive, and very hard on my liver and
kidney. So I would hope our doctors would want to prescribe something
that is less toxic for us than something that is.

I would doubt that any non-consuming user of cannabis would run out
and try it, or start it, if it did become legal. No more than I would
run out and start doing heroin if it was. I feel that if marijuana was
legalized, it would fund in tax dollars enough money to put our
children through university at no cost to them nor their families. It
would generate enough to put our health-care system back were it
should be, and generate much-needed funds for other programs.

I find Mr. Oler's uneducated blither disturbing to the point that his
prohibitionist mindset enjoys the gangsters shooting up our streets
and buying new cars with money that could be putting our children
through school or keeping seniors in better health care.

He is right in one aspect of his letter: it is easier for kids to
access drugs as long as we keep them illegal and on the streets; it's
far harder for them to get alcohol and tobacco as it is regulated and
restricted. Foolish indeed!

Tamara Cartwright

President, Southern Alberta Cannabis Club

Taber