Dear OTB,

Thank You for your comments.

I'm somewhat reserved when it comes to legalising
cannabis I must admit. I've had a family member
who smoked it for decades and ended up with very serious
side effects. However, I am for the legalisation of
medican cannabis which under regulation has been shown to
successfully reduce pain in chronic illnesses.

I fully endorse legal medical marijuana for both OUG and myself.

Rusty

Well people, All I can see that it helps.

Tally

I've been doing a bit more research on the subject
and it does appear to be more complex than I had
first thought.

Some websites talk about the bad effects of marijuana.
Things like altered perceptions and moods, impaired
co-ordination, difficulty with thinking and problem
solving, disrupted learning and memory. They go on to
say that marijuana affects brain development and when
used heavily by young people its effects on thinking
and memory may last a long time or even be permanent.

Then we're also told that marijuana smoke is an irritant
to the lungs, and frequent smokers can have many of the
same respiratory problems experienced by tobacco
smokers, such as a daily cough and phlegm or producing
more frequent acute chest illnesses and a heightened risk
of lung infections. I was not able to find a link yet between
marijuana smoking and lung cancer.

I then went to see whether marijuana can be regarded as a
medicine and found that there are so many different
compounds within cannabis - some are useful others are not.
I guess this simply confirms that this should be tested,
regulated, and the benefits (or not) be made quite clear.

Supervision seem to be the major point being stressed, as well
as thorough testing before anything is legislated.

Here are the possible side effects of a commonly prescribed 'minor' drug to reduce uric acid build-up (Gout),

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/allopurinol-side-effects.html

I see no impediment to the elderly self medicating with their home grown and consequently very cheap Cannabis. I don't say they should be required to get a medical opinion either. At their stage of life what is the State doing in there telling them how to live their lives. Particularly while politicians are dumping on them for being alive at all and fostering intergenerational jealousy.

Regarding cost, the proud, independent often self-supporting elderly I meet through voluntary work DO miss the $6 or whatever they are forced to pay for a prescription to be filled. That means they do not buy protein. Then there is the cost of the medical appointment and transport to and fro. They should be able to grow a dozen plants, hang cuttings in the shed to dry and later smoke it, make pancakes or stuff their pillows(sic), whatever they like.

If only there was an equal concern being exhibited for their pain, physical and emotional in their present lives, as there obviously is for them to take their own lives because they are burdensome to their relatives and the community.

The State is supposed to be serving the people, not telling old folk how to live their lives. It is looking very much as though the real impediment is government and entrepreneurs including GPs reaching agreement on how to commodify this easily grown plant so all get to make money out of it. Again, whose interests is the goverjnment supposed to be serving,

- politicians whose remuneration, travel and retirement benefits are the best in the world and
- entrepreneurs who want bigger Beamers

OR

- the exasperated general public?

I'm not too sure about this stuff. God knows, I'd love something that fixed pain, but only if it was not too harmful to everyone. Once we oldies have it, so will everyone

I had a mate, successful businessman retired young, who had sailed the world in a yacht he built himself. I saw him reduced to a giggling idiot sitting on a pile of the jetty giggling, most days, after he discovered pot.

Lost the lot, family, lovely lady, boat & his dignity, then just disappeared. Probably a homeless wreck today, if still around.

I also find it a little strange that the same people who claim tobacco smoke is a killer apparently see no problem with filling the lungs with pot smoke. Perhaps the purity of their thought renders pot smoke harmless & safe to inhale.

As I say, I just don't know enough about the stuff, so I'm not actually against it, but it does frighten me a bit after seeing my friend. I do think it's possible effect on the road toll should be properly understood, before too much liberalisation