LATEST WEED WIN HAS POT FOES SMOKING MAD

No matter how bureaucratically bungled the actual system may be,
Health Canada's recent decision to sell marijuana to licensed medical
users brings some advocates of pot legalization a puff closer to their
goal. That campaign is ongoing. In late July, Vancouver ganja guru
Marc Emery was arrested in Moncton, New Brunswick, after he fired up a
bong in front of an RCMP station. But two local experts who oppose
marijuana's legalization in any way, shape, or form are increasingly
concerned, especially with a bill sitting before Parliament that would
relax rules relating to possession.

Dr. Ray Baker, who specializes in addiction medicine, and Cpl. Scott
Rintoul, director of the RCMP's drug-awareness program, say making pot
legal sends a dangerous message to kids.

Those who have been approved by Health Canada for medical use of
marijuana have to ensure that their doctor will agree to receive the
product. That's because the Canadian Medical Association has warned
doctors they shouldn't be distributing marijuana. Most don't endorse
the herb's supposed medical claims anyway.

Ray Baker, the medical director of HealthQuest Occupational Health
Corp., is one such opponent.

"It's interesting the direction the government is taking," Baker says
in a phone interview. "The government is saying medical marijuana is
okay, yet every knowledgeable medical group that's involved in
regulating, documenting, and establishing best practices in addiction
medicine...all say that health professionals cannot advocate the use
of smoking marijuana. There are safer, more effective alternatives
available.

"The method of administration--smoking--is so unstandardized; there
are more than 300 compounds in marijuana. There is no standard dose
but a whole lot of toxins. The only other smoked toxin that's
responsible for problems is tobacco. So, duh. But hey, leave us
doctors out of it."

Baker says that the pro-pot movement receives so much attention
because its speakers are vociferous, while pot's antilegalization camp
doesn't have the sex appeal that mainstream media coverage demands.
And he doesn't buy the argument that marijuana is "natural".

"So's HIV, so's the West Nile virus. That's all natural too. But when
you burn things, you release literally hundreds of chemicals that can
cause disease....So when the government says marijuana is 'normal',
'medical', or 'legal', and participates in its marketing and sale,
that will keep me in business forever."

He's quick to stress that although he's against the legalization of
pot, he doesn't favour criminalization either. That causes users to
become disenfranchised instead of getting the help they need. And
while it's one thing for adults to get high on a regular basis, it's
another altogether when kids start to use.

"There are lots of bad effects of marijuana, especially in youth,"
Baker says, arguing that it can affect memory, emotional responses,
perception, and attention span. It can also lead to serious
respiratory conditions.

"If you become impaired three times a week, it will interfere with the
ability to learn. It interferes with motivation; people are more
content to be passive."

Baker also points to the gateway effect. Young people who use
marijuana are more likely to go on to try other, harder drugs than
those who don't, he says.

"Show me an adult addicted to coke, and I'll show you a person who was
more than 80 times likely to have smoked marijuana in adolescence," he
says.

According to Pacific Community Resources, which published its Lower
Mainland Youth Drug Use Survey in November 2002, alcohol and marijuana
are typically the first drugs young people try, with 13 being the most
commonly reported age at first use. The organization interviewed about
2,000 people aged 12 to 24 in six communities. Nearly 60 percent of
respondents had consumed alcohol within the preceding 30 days and 42
percent had used marijuana.

RCMP officer Scott Rintoul shares Baker's views. He says that most
politicians and other leaders who support legalization don't fully
understand the issue.

"I think authorities who are in the community mean well, but they're
irresponsible when they talk about drugs," Rintoul says in an
interview at the RCMP's E Division headquarters. "They'll say,
'Marijuana is not a problem.'...That makes kids say, 'It's legal
anyway.' I see the other side.

"I get parents calling me saying, 'My kid is smoking pot. He says it's
legal, there's nothing wrong with it.'...People will say legalizing
marijuana will solve all our problems. How will that solve our ecstasy
problem? It may make things worse.

"Most pot advocates are 30 or 40 years old," he adds. "For some,
possibly they've never had a problem with marijuana. It could be the
only drug they ever use. They may not want to try coke or heroin. But
for them to justify it is really hurting young people. I don't think
it's fair to put that message on a 14- or 16-year-old."

According to Rintoul, Canada lacks a vision for dealing with
marijuana. While acknowledging there will never be a drug-free
society, Rintoul stresses the importance of building strong social
networks and encouraging kids to think about healthy lifestyles. He
says he firmly believes that it takes a community to raise a child.

"People have to teach people to be parents," he says. "Parents are the
number one prevention program in a child's life. Kids don't have the
proper tools to be resistant. They need to know not just about drugs
and alcohol but about self-esteem. What do drugs do? They make you
feel good when you're feeling down all the time. There's bullying,
racism, verbal abuse; social skills, learning respect begin in the
home."

Baker and Rintoul say the greatest risk of developing an addiction is
the age of onset. They maintain that if people haven't tried illicit
drugs by age 19, most won't start.