AFTER DECADES OF FEAR-MONGERING

To The Editor,

RE: Marijuana Awareness Campaign

After decades of fear-mongering, exaggerations, hyperbole, and
outright lies - how deeply refreshing to see an RCMP article about
marijuana that was completely free of it! Well done and thank you so
much! As a Federal Medical Marijuana Licence Holder who is also
married to one, I was particularly glad to see no inaccuracies or stigmas!

"Unlike alcohol, marijuana's THC concentrations can vary significantly
from batch to batch." So true! This also brings up the point that
marijuana doesn't affect everyone the same way.

As a medical user, I would probably not be impaired by one joint. But
if a typical teenager or inexperienced adult user were to use the pot
I use (or the amount), they would be significantly impaired.

Experienced marijuana users can have little-to-no impairment
(certainly no more than a cellphone, prescription medications, or
other distractions), and many medical users can actually drive better
with medication than without, depending on their condition, the strain
of cannabis, and the mode of dosing. Fatigue, hunger, and blood-sugar
imbalances can also play a significant role in driving impairment,
especially when combined with any drug.

Take it from a daily, chronic, medical pot user: this article is
pretty accurate. Pot CAN impair, but it doesn't impair everyone every
time, so be careful!

Russell Barth,

Federal Medical Marijuana Licence Holder Ottawa