POT PERSPECTIVES GONE UP IN SMOKE

I have been seeing a lot on the news and in the papers over the
rights of "pot smokers" these days.

Where are the rights of non-pot-smokers? I know folks personally and
people I have just chatted with in the general public who've stated
to me that pot smoke gave them head-aches, body pain and blocked
sinuses when they did experiment with it or were just simply exposed to it.

I happen to be one of those people. I tried it in 2004 with a couple
of friends as I heard all this new evidence that it takes body pain
away. Well, it didn't. As a matter of fact, it gave us severe head-aches.

We all have fibromyalgia, chronic pain and arthritis and it only
worsened our conditions. Also, our minds felt like vegetables and we
were immobile for many hours to come.

There are many people now who possess exemptions to legally smoke pot
and I'm sure there are those who don't abuse that privilege, however,
there are those who do. And those who live in complexes are affected
by that pot smoke in hallways and courtyards must know it's harmful
to those like me.

I'm not a cigarette smoker, but I've also been hearing about how
cigarette smoking is going to be illegal on ferry boats, parks (and
patios for smoking that aren't hurting the non-smokers.)

Well, there's something pretty backwards in our society because
cigarettes are not illegal. Also, they don't cause car accidents due
to being high. Yet, thousands sat on the lawn of the parliament
buildings recently, lobbying for pot not to be illegal and got stoned
on pot. No one was arrested.

This system is unfair. I smell pot smoke downtown all the time now
and there are no cops around enforcing the law; they're too busy
confiscating knapsacks.

Anyway, all I am saying, is there are those to consider who feel
completely the opposite about pot -- it truly hurts us; it doesn't
help us; it hinders us; we're allergic to it and even though we may
not be smoking it, we still have to be affected by it in our homes
and on city streets. This society has become so politically correct
that government has taken leave of its senses.

What about the children of parents who have tickets to smoke pot. Is
this not going to affect and harm those kids in the long run? Does it
give them a choice, whether they want to be exposed to it or not?

L. Rebeccah-Jean Robinson

Victoria