Dear Chief Silverberg:
I write to you as a mother, a teacher and as media director for the Universal Compassion Club (UCC).
Several years ago a student sat 'weeping' in my office. Her mother had cancer and my student was breaking the law by bringing her marijuana to ease the wrenching nausea of chemotherapy. My student wanted to do a research paper on medical marijuana but was afraid of what I would say. I encouraged her to go ahead. This is part of what I learned.
In the 1970's, under the Regan administration, the U.S. Drug Enforceinent Agency (DEA) and other agencies funded studies at the Medical College of Virginia looking for evidence that cannabis causes health problems. Instead of finding problems, the researchers made a breakthrough when they discovered in 1975 that cannabis showed powerful anti-tumor activity against both benign and malignant tumors. The DEA and NationaI Insiitute of Health (NIH) quickly defunded the studies and prohihited any future cannabis research and ordered records destroyed.
What is tragic about this ruling is that the United States, in its hysteric War On Drugs, effectively guillotined all scientific studies and informed discourse on what has been historically and scientifically acknowledged as one of the world's great medicinal plants with over 100 uses. DEA and NIDA documents concluded that, "Marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances know to man. ". Even Queen Victoria's physician prescribed cannabis tea to her to alleviate the symptoms of premenstrual stress symtoms (PMS) is well as the symptoms associated with menopause. Recent studies show that cannabis users are less likely to suffer strokes and anectodal evidence indicates that cannabis leads to prostate cancer remission. .
Our federal govermnent is finally listening to its citizens and their demands for marijuana as a safe, inexpensive treatment for dozens of ailments. In the political debate in the House of Commons dated Wednesday April 14, 1999 recorded in Hansard, MS. Libby Davies (MP Vancouver East) praised the actions of' "very brave individuals in our society [who] have taken on the justice system, sometimes almost alone, to challenge the archiaic laws when it comes to the medical use of marijuana. On May 25, 1999, Parliament, overwhelmingly passed by a vote of 224 - 29 an amendment to Bill M-381 which would allow "developing a research plan containing clinical trials, appropriate guidelines for its medical use, as well as access to a safe medicinal supply. "
Our Mission statement at the Universal Compassion Club is to "make cannabis, free of molds and other contaiminants" available to those in medical need, who with a certificate from a medical doctor or certified health practioner, present proof of their need.
Furthermore, UCC'S intention is to host community-based projects where tests of strains and their efficacy in treating various medical conditions. Everyone agrees that smoking is "except in certain medical conditions," is the WORST METHOD of ingestion. But the current street values of cannabis make ingestion in other forms prohibitively expensive for sufferers. The Universal Compassion Club is currently working with chemists and nutritionists to develop various tinctures, butters and a non-THC tea which still contains the healing attributes of cannabis. Inhalers and patches are also being tested.
On Thursday May 27, a woman with one breast and two small children sat on a couch in a house which has become the unofficial headquarters of the UCC. She sat weeping, telling Grant Krieger of how she is dying. Grant Krieger offered her a small bag of marijuana to help alleviate some of her pain. Yet under existing laws, he is subject to " trafficking " charges. "
Chief Silverberg, it is time for the Calgary Police Department to join other police departments across the country in halting the enforcemcnt of archaic, unjust laws. It is time to stop arresting dying mothers and fathers and those who are trying to help them.
We at UCC pray for peace and open-mindedness. But prayer alone is not enough to move politicians and moral crusaders. I and the dying mothers and fathers that I've encountered in my weeks as media director for the UCC ask for a meeting with you Chief Silverberg so that we might speak openly about how we can best look after the mcdical needs of those who mean no harm but ask simply for relief from agony.
Yours Truly
Morgan Malterre
Universal Compassion Centre
2, 3012 17 Avenue S.E., Suite #509
Calgary, Alberta T2A 0P9
(403)286-4088
Compassion begins at home... ucc@home.com http://drugsense.org/ucc/
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