DENIAL INHUMANE

Dear Editor:

To deny prescribed medicine to any person, animal or living form is
inhumane. To deny medicine based on economic, social or political reason is
inhumane. To suggest a medicine prescribed by a practising physician,
specialist, veterinarian, or any other medical professional licensed to do
so, be based on any of these is absurd. Being in a home, hospital, car or
institution has no bearing on how the illness/disease should be treated.

That being said, I must comment on Peter Duffy's column "Don't cry for
toker who's doing time" (The Sunday Herald, Sept. 15). Is Mr. Duffy
suggesting we now start using a guide to who qualifies to be treated? I
would be interested in his guidelines. Here are a couple that could be
included: no money/no treatment; no treatment for person(s)/animal(s) born
with disabilities; no treatment for those injured in car accidents deemed
to be their fault; no treatment if working in the "newspaper industry."

Ridiculous? Absolutely!

I suggest Mr. Duffy up his intake of caffeine (drug) before his pen hits
the paper. Mr. Duffy and anyone else should never be denied prescribed
medicine used to treat an ailment, regardless of where they are, especially
in Canada.

The tone used in his piece was condescending to any person who uses
cannabis as medicine. Maybe he believes in compassion, as seen in other
columns, but this day the well was dry.

John Cook, Halifax, Co-founder of Maritimers United for Medical Marijuana