Re: End of residential grow-ops coming for medical pot, The Progress 18 December
Commercialization of medical marijuana falls short in recognition of the circumstances of people who need medical marijuana and overstates the benefits to neighbourhoods.
Eligible medical users include those suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, HIV/AIDS, and other chronic and terminal disease. Information published in the Canada Gazette predicts increasing cost and a corresponding reduction by 30% of legal users over ten years compared with the status quo.
Under the old system, people suffering from chronic and terminal illness could grow their own. Under the new system many won’t have legal access because they won’t be able to afford it.
Will the grow-op problem be solved? No. People who will break the law will not be deterred by the existence of commercial medical marijuana operations. The medical marijuana question is largely irrelevant to them.
I applaud efforts to get grow-ops out of our neighbourhoods. What we have with this move is simply a profitable business opportunity for a few, to the detriment of many of society’s most vulnerable, under the guise of fighting crime.
Ian Stephen
Chilliwack