Saturday, November 4, 2017

A WELCOME VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS

Open Letter Re: defeat Bill C.45 on the grounds of violations of human rights.

Dear MPs of the Parliament of Canada and Members of the Canadian Senate.

As you know, the impending approval of marijuana for non-medical use is controversial, as based on the marked increase in car accidents, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations in Colorado after recreational cannabis approval.



In addition many Canadians, organizations and corporate entities are against the legalization of marijuana. The vast majority of the electorate continue to not use marijuana and do not support more marijuana use in their society. The reasons for this wide disapproval are as follows:

Marijuana is a serious threat to the physical and mental health of Canadians and its use is a major threat to public safety. 1 Marijuana use is strongly associated with the onset of psychiatric disorders. 2 Mental illness causes crime, homelessness, enormous societal costs and suffering.  Marijuana use has also been linked to mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. 3 Marijuana use is associated with an increased risk of prescription opioid misuse and use disorders. 4

In 2017, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) concluded after a review of over 10,000 peer-reviewed academic articles, that marijuana use is connected to many problems including: respiratory problems; mental health issues (like psychosis, social anxiety, and thoughts of suicide); increased risk of car accidents; progression to and dependence on other drugs; learning, memory, and attention loss (possibly permanent in some cases); and low birth weight. 5

Health Canada acknowledges the science the substantiates the risk that marijuana products pose to reproductive health and state these products should not be used if a woman is pregnant, is planning to get pregnant, or is breast-feeding, and should not be used by a man who wishes to start a family, are under the age of 25. 6

It is requested of the federal government that a Child Rights Impact Assessment be undertaken to determine conformity of Bill C45 with the UN- Rights of the Child Treaty. A key aspect of this analysis should be widespread consultation with children and youth, pursuant to Article 12 of the UNCRC. If such an assessment determines the proposed legalization framework violates the terms of this important human rights treaty, under which both the federal and provincial governments are legally bound, all elected members of Parliament must be guided to defeat Bill C-45 on the grounds and basis of human rights violations. 7

Canada cannot function if a large percentage of its population is addicted or mentally ill or mentally impaired due to marijuana use. A Canadian’s right to security under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms must not be ignored and this extends to every Canadians right to protection from drugged drivers as well as protection from second-hand marijuana smoke.. Therefore, all elected officials with a sworn duty to protect the interests of all Canadians must in the strongest possible terms accept their duty of care in regards determining the viability and legality of the proposed legislation of Bill-C-45.

Sincerely,
Pamela McColl – www.preventdontpromote.org – Canada

References

1. Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, November, 2016, Chapters One and two and Appendix D pp.65-66 at:
https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/surgeon-generals-report.pdf

2. American Psychiatric Association, Position Statement on Marijuana as Medicine, paragraph 1 found at: https://www.psychiatry.org/home/policy-finder

3. “Is Marijuana Addictive?” DrugFacts: Marijuana, (June 2015), at: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana - citing: Hasin DS, Saha TD, Kerridge BT, et al. Prevalence of Marijuana Use Disorders in the United States Between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013. JAMA Psychiatry. 2015;72(12):1235-1242.  doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.1858.

4.https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/news-releases/2017/09/marijuana-use-associated-increased-risk-prescription-opioid-misuse-use-disorders

5. Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research


6.https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/medical-use-marijuana/licensed-producers/consumer-information-cannabis-marihuana-marijuana.html


7. http://www.cyanb.ca/images/NBOCYA_Submission_to_Select_Committee_on_Cannabis.pdf

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