CN ON: Regulate public use of medical marijuana: Halton MP

[Alison Myrden]

This is a big story going around Canada these last few weeks that is causing great controversy and huge back lash...

 

Check it out..

 

 

Alison

xx

 

 

 

http://www.burlingtonpost.com/news/article/155545

 

Newshawk: http://www.NoExtradition.net

Pubdate: 17 Feb 2008

Source: Burlington Post (CN ON)

Email: letters@...

Website: http://www.burlingtonpost.com/

Address: 5040 Mainway, Burlington On L7L 7G5

Copyright: 2008 Burlington Post

Author: Tim Whitnell

 

 

Regulate public use of medical marijuana: Halton MP

 

Garth Turner pleased with health minister's reply to recent letter

 

By Tim Whitnell

 

Halton's Member of Parliament has convinced Canada's health minister

to re-examine the use of medical marijuana in public places

following recent news reports of a Burlington bar owner being taken

to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario by a former patron.

 

Garth Turner, Liberal MP for the riding of Halton, which includes

parts of north Burlington and Oakville, told the Post last Thursday

he received a response to a Feb. 11 letter he sent to federal health

minister Tony Clement.

 

"Under the current regulations there are no limits on where the

medical practitioner can utilize the prescribed (marijuana)

medication, an oversight which has led to unfortunate consequences

in my riding and, I am sure, in other jurisdictions of Canada,"

Turner wrote, in his letter to Clement.

 

"This is a matter that must be addressed, as it affects the health

of Canadians who have no wish to be exposed to marijuana, or second-

hand smoke.

 

"Numerous jurisdictions around the world have legalized medical

marijuana and many of them have also regulated where it can be used.

It is time for Canada to follow their example and implement crystal

clear and enforceable restrictions on the use of medical marijuana

in public spaces," Turner's letter concluded.

 

The MP said he is siding with Ted Kindos, the longtime owner of

Gator Ted's restaurant/bar on Guelph Line. Kindos is awaiting a

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario hearing in May, following failed

Ontario Human Rights Commission mediation talks in the wake of

claims of discrimination by former longtime customer Steve Gibson.

 

Gibson, 42, a local resident who has a federal licence to smoke

medical marijuana for a job-related neck injury in 1989, believes he

was unfairly treated by Kindos three years ago when he was first

asked to stay further away from the bar's entrance than regular

cigarette smokers, and later told by Kindos not to smoke his legal

pot anywhere near the Gator Ted's property.

 

Kindos, 42, counters that bar patrons had complained about the

marijuana smoke.

 

Gibson contends that he should have been able to light up his legal

weed and stand in the same area where tobacco smokers congregate,

which he says is often within 10 feet of the bar's entrance. He has

said he's never asked or demanded to be allowed to smoke inside

Gator Ted's and that he is not seeking such treatment through his

human rights case.

 

Kindos told the Post on Friday that he tries to keep cigarette

smokers at least 10 feet away from the front of his business. He

earlier told the Post that he eventually asked Gibson to stay at

least 100 feet from the bar when he smokes his marijuana.

 

The City of Burlington banned all smoking in restaurants in January

2006, in advance of a similar provincial ban that took effect in May

2006. The Gibson-Kindos showdown outside the restaurant occurred in

May 2005

 

The press secretary for Tony Clement sent the Post an e-mail

response Thursday afternoon, when asked if the health minister had

received a letter from Turner seeking action by his office on the

general issue of medical marijuana use in public places.

 

"Yes, we agree, marijuana smoke contains a large number of chemicals

which can be very damaging to human health. A recent New Zealand

study indicated one marijuana cigarette could do as much damage as a

pack of 20 tobacco cigarettes," said Laryssa Waler, on behalf of

Clement.

 

"We also agree that individuals who do not smoke licensed marijuana

should not be exposed to the harmful effects of the smoke. We are

willing to explore ways in which we can protect Canadians from

exposure to marijuana smoke."

 

Turner is ecstatic with the minister's quick response.

 

"It looks like the government's initial reaction is that they agree

(with me) so that's a very positive development.

 

"I'm not sure this will help the restaurant guy (Kindos) in the

immediate short-term with his human rights case, but it might. His

lawyer might be able to even use this information to prove that the

government that drafted the law says it's faulty. I think it's great

news and definitely in the future it should help us avoid this kind

of a situation."

 

Turner said he has talked to Kindos once and Kindos's lawyer a

couple of times to receive background information about the human

rights case.

 

We're working together and seeing if we can get some damn common

sense in government. One of the first things we did was find out if

there is a bylaw in Burlington related to smoking outside and there

isn't, so this is a completely grey area," said Turner.

 

"The point is, nobody should be exposed to second-hand smoke. The

bar owner has got to have some assurance that some guy's not going

to come into his bar under the influence of drugs as that endangers

his liquor licence. That's why we need restrictions on this federal

law. If he (Gibson) has to do it (smoke marijuana) in a private

place, then that's not going to be a sidewalk," he added.

 

Turner said that if Clement stalls on making changes to the

Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which regulates marijuana use,

he will introduce a motion in Parliament asking for a limit on the

use of medical marijuana "to private residences and other designated

locations."

 

Kindos told the Post he appreciates the support he's getting from

Turner and the general public. He has said that the legal bills he

faces may put his bar on the brink of bankruptcy.

"The support has been unbelievable. Since (Feb. 8) we've been

averaging about 100-200 e-mails a day."

 

Kindos said he's even had several medical marijuana users come into

the bar to say they advocate only smoking their legal pot in private

locations.

 

Gibson could not be reached for comment on Turner's efforts on

behalf of Kindos.

[Alison Myrden]

They published my LTE!!!

 

 

Alison

xx

 

 

 

 

http://www.burlingtonpost.com/news/article/156880

 

 

Marijuana patient pleads for understanding

 

Letters

Feb 22, 2008

 

 

The following is an open letter to Burlington Post, restaurant owner Ted Kindos and Halton MP Garth Turner.

 

I don't think the people across Canada understand the issue of medical marijuana patient Steve Gibson and owner of Gator Ted's Restaurant, Ted Kindos, in their disagreement involving the accusation of blatant discrimination and the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

 

I know many people in Canada know who I am by now; I've been doing this for many years. For those who have been away or have been hiding under a rock with Mr. Turner and Mr. Kindos, my name is Alison Myrden and I am a medical marijuana patient just like Mr. Gibson.

 

I have taken my time to speak up about this in print because it has been such a heated conversation and I can't take the stress of speaking about it as the pain in my face flares up horribly. The slightest bit of stress will set me off.

 

I smoke at least every hour when I am out of my home. It doesn't matter if I am at a baseball game at The Roger's Centre, an amusement park or sometimes inside but most definitely outside of every eatery I go to. I smoke everywhere I go. I have to. If I don't, I have to rely on medically-prescribed cocaine and heroin, up to 2,000 mg of morphine, not including 32 other pills, every day just to start to touch my pain and other issues associated with chronic, progressive multiple sclerosis.

 

What Mr. Turner and some of your readers are misunderstanding I believe, is the fact that people like Mr. Gibson and myself have been given this right because we are sick. There is no other reason. I might add that there are fewer than 2,300 of us across Canada with the legal right to do this so we are new and definitely here to stay.

 

I am deeply offended and personally shocked that our federal Health Minister, Mr. Tony Clement, is not even aware of the most recent information stating (some) doctors in the U.S. also believe cannabis is a great choice of medicine and it is not going away any time soon. Cannabis is not cancer causing. We have been reassured by brilliant doctors and scientists at medical conferences over the years that cannabis heals and the smoke is very therapeutic and non-carcinogenic.

 

Banishing medical cannabis smokers to a back corner or more than 100 feet away from the entrance of an establishment is not only totally callous and hard hearted but very much discriminatory.

 

Please, Mr. Turner, Mr. Kindos and people of Canada, try to be a little more understanding of the medical cannabis patients in our country. I have been at the forefront of this movement for more than 10 years. I only wish people could feel my inner pain with what we have had to endure. These medical marijuana licences are not easy to come by so try to have some empathy for those who are debilitated and sick enough to have one.

 

Due to the effect this has on my health, this will be the last I speak of this issue publicly until the hearing in May, where Human Rights has asked me to be an expert witness for Mr. Gibson. All we ask in the meantime is that you walk just one day in our shoes.

 

Alison Myrden

 

Federal Medical Marijuana Exemptee in Canada,

 

The Medical Marijuana Mission

 

www.themarijuanamission.com

[mullray]

Thanks Alison I enjoy reading your posts from the 'nearly' free world. Human rights for drug users in Australia is straight forward given rulings under the fascist (but now gone)Johnny (Jackboot)Howard Government. Drug users have no rights in Australia whether that be mj or anything else (well they do have the right to remain silent, go to prison, get their doors kicked in at 5am in the morning I guess:-).... Hopefully Mr Rudd of the newly elected Labor Government may have something to say about this but then.....(??)

[bufo marinus]

Kindos said he's even had several medical marijuana users come into

the bar to say they advocate only smoking their legal pot in private

locations.

 

Cannabis smoke stinks a lot more than tobacco. It's no wonder people are complaining.

What's wrong with going back to the car to blow a joint?

If you require Cannabis why not eat some hash?

Do diabetics shoot up in public? Of course not.

If you want people to respect your right to smoke why not start by respecting their right to fresh air?

If that guy is able to walk into a restaurant to have dinner surely he is able to walk far enough away to not disturb the patrons?

You people have your medical cards so you don't need to worry about getting busted, now you just need to use some discretion

[mullray]

Cannabis smoke stinks a lot more than tobacco. It's no wonder people are complaining.

What's wrong with going back to the car to blow a joint?

If you require Cannabis why not eat some hash?

Do diabetics shoot up in public? Of course not.

If you want people to respect your right to smoke why not start by respecting their right to fresh air?

If that guy is able to walk into a restaurant to have dinner surely he is able to walk far enough away to not disturb the patrons?

You people have your medical cards so you don't need to worry about getting busted, now you just need to use some discretion

 

I sort of agree bufo marinus. Easier to just light up where it won't offend people and not pull the tail of the tiger. I feel sorry for the restaurant owner because now he is caught in the middle of a fight for rights campaign (legal action) when all he is doing is trying to run a business and keep ALL his customers happy. Actions like these on the part of the med movement will back fire against them in the end. This guy has the rights to meds but everyone else has their rights too so now he is attempting to deprive others of their rights..... That sort of shit makes no friends.

[WantDaChronic]

i personally believe that smoking in public area should be illegal unless you are smoking in an area designated for smokers, but even then you shouldnt light up a joint around people that are only smoking tobacco. not only can the second hand smoke make a person fail a drug test, it can get a person stoned who doesnt want to be and to top it all off any pot smokers around will get jealous

 

if you need marijuana as a medicine and decide you want to go out for a meal, make sure you plan ahead so your medicine wont affect the other customers, eg. eat a canna cookie before you leave so you dont have to smoke up while you are out. you will avoid any bullshit like what that guy is going through + it would make the medicinal user look better in societies eye's...

[freddie]

We're talking about medical use here. Not just an excuse or half hearted justification to smoke dope but real debilitating medical problems like ms or chronic pain. The people who are licenced medical users in Canada have severe problems which most of us have no idea what it is like to suffer. Of course they should be allowed to smoke anywhere tobacco is smoked.

 

Cannabis smoke stinks a lot more than tobacco. It's no wonder people are complaining.

 

Not really. Just smells different. I find tobacco way more obnoxious. We are not talking about an enclosed space.

 

If you require Cannabis why not eat some hash?

 

I'm guessing that some who have severe problems need the immediacy of effect from smoke. Eating take a long time to work and the dose is hard to get right.

 

Do diabetics shoot up in public? Of course not.

 

Huh. What has shooting up for diabetes got to do with it? If there was no where discreet then a diabetic would have to shoot up in public. Any medicine is legally allowed to be taken in public. If my back "goes" in public then an ambulance comes and administers whatever pain killers they seem fit in public. We are talking legal medicine (in Canada anyway).

 

i personally believe that smoking in public area should be illegal unless you are smoking in an area designated for smokers, but even then you shouldnt light up a joint around people that are only smoking tobacco. not only can the second hand smoke make a person fail a drug test, it can get a person stoned who doesnt want to be and to top it all off any pot smokers around will get jealous

 

I have been in plenty of dope smoke filled rooms and I challenge anyone to get stoned from secondary smoke, even in a small tent. Try it yourself next time your mates are having a big session. This is outdoors in the open air that we are discussing.

 

Those with severe medical problems that respond to cannabis should be able to participate in society the same as everyone else. Cannabis is either a real valid medicine or it isnt. Clearly the Canadians have decided that it is. Unless you suffer from ms or chronic pain you have no idea what some people go through.

 

I smoke at least every hour when I am out of my home. It doesn't matter if I am at a baseball game at The Roger's Centre, an amusement park or sometimes inside but most definitely outside of every eatery I go to. I smoke everywhere I go. I have to. If I don't, I have to rely on medically-prescribed cocaine and heroin, up to 2,000 mg of morphine, not including 32 other pills, every day just to start to touch my pain and other issues associated with chronic, progressive multiple sclerosis.

 

Cannabis is real medicine for some. Try and imagine some of the difficulties in living like this.

[melbournes/eboy]

its always been like that i jamaiaca west indies. the rasta there walk around city central smokeng from a 4 foot bong.

they even smoke a cone on camera for anybody who asks pretty much...... seen it on a live telecast of the cricket not so many years back even.... that was a spinout. hahaha.

 

 

p.s. how u been freddie? hope all is well.

 

p.p.s. should current addicts also be qualified for a prescption if it was avaliable? i think so anyway, cos i am in that category. haha

[bufo marinus]

I don't doubt the med card carriers have real problems but if they want to get the public onside then why not employ the use of diplomacy, discretion?

[Alison Myrden]

Thank you freddie.

 

You said it beautifully doll...

 

Love and stuff,

 

Alison

xx