POLITICIANS HAVE PUFFED, BUT ARE UNDECIDED ON POT

Both Muskoka's provincial and federal representatives say they have tried
marijuana but want to see more information before taking definitive sides
on the possible legalization of it.

A senate committee has come out this month in support of the legalization
rather than just the decriminalization of pot, but a commons committee is
conducting further studies and their recommendations are due in November.
"I think that we need to take a look at what those committees are saying
and obviously one of the key issues that they need to look at is the impact
on Canadian's health," said Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Andy Mitchell, adding
that there is no question that it should be available for medical purposes.

"When you are specifically talking about marijuana for medical purposes, I
think that makes a lot of sense so long as you have a physician who is
saying 'the patient is in need of this and this will assist the patient.'"
The push for decriminalization involves large numbers of Canadians who have
been pegged as criminals for possession of cannabis and are unable to cross
the border to the United States.

"I think that is one of the reasons why both the Senate and the House have
taken a very serious look at this issue and we are reviewing it on a
societal basis," he said.

"Society determines if the regime that is in place now is the most
appropriate one. How it has to be changed or should it be changed, I think
those are discussions that are taking place," added Mitchell. "I think it
was appropriate for the Senate to do the study, I think it is very
appropriate for the House to do a study. The Justice Minister has said that
what he wants to do is to take a look at the results of these studies and
then for the government to respond to those in a way that makes sense,"
said Mitchell, adding that he smoked cannabis when he was younger.

Miller on the other hand was a bit more hesitant on the issue.

"It is hard to say," said Parry Sound Muskoka MPP, Norm Miller. "Smoking is
not good for you, so I guess smoking Marijuana is just a different
substance you are smoking. Are we going to encourage more people to get
lung cancer?" he questioned.

Miller did say that a breath-freshener-like pump being developed in England
that would provide the user with Tetra Hydro Cannabanol (THC) [the
substance that gives the high in marijuana] would be better than smoking it.

"That sounds better then smoking it. Smoking is a huge cost to the health
system and known to cause lung cancer. I don't have strong feelings either
way, but I don't think we should be encouraging people to use marijuana,"
he said.

Miller said he does support using marijuana for medical purposes.

"I don't have a problem with that. For medical I think it is fine. I've
heard people talk on the radio and say that for some real chronic
conditions it's very helpful and I have noproblem with that," he said,
adding that yes he has smoked the drug and he even inhaled it as well.