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US: Campbellford man leads cannabis education campaign John Campbell Northumberland News Friday 11 Feb 2011 CAMPBELLFORD - Al Graham founded PACE (People Advocating Cannabis Education) last summer because using marijuana has helped him cope with his own illness and he believes others would benefit from its wider acceptance. "I can tell you it's improved my quality of health," Mr. Graham says. The Campbellford resident was once a production supervisor who oversaw 65 employees but he had to go on disability after he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory disease that attacks the digestive system, in June 2003. He used to take 32 pills a day but he's now down to eight and most of them are vitamins. He still takes a couple of "nasty drugs" administered by doctors but he's replaced the painkillers with cannabis, which he inhales or smokes throughout the day. "I've become more active and more involved in things, it hasn't shut me down," said Mr. Graham, who's been a key member of Friends of Ferris in helping to make the provincial park more appealing to visitors. He's also emerged as a strong advocate for change in public thinking and official policy concerning marijuana. "It's all about getting the truth to the people," Mr. Graham said. "The government has shut the truth down. There are people out there that need to know this." He's making an effort to remove the stigma associated with marijuana by writing for 'Treating Yourself', a magazine that supports medicinal marijuana, and representing the publication at national trade and health shows held in Toronto. He also distributes PACE brochures that provide links to websites that talk about the therapeutic properties of cannabis and report on the latest developments and studies. Mr. Graham stepped up his public awareness campaign last October when he began showing documentaries once a month at the Grind House Café on Front Street South. The films address four themes: science, patient testimonials, the history of hemp and cannabis, and prohibition. They're open to the public and are usually held the third Sunday of the month, although the next one, 'What If Cannabis Cured Cancer' will be shown Feb. 13, beginning around noon. A discussion typically takes place after each showing and the floor is opened to questions. Mr. Graham envisions a time when there will be a Cannabis Control Board of Ontario to control the distribution of marijuana. Amsterdam and Portugal have much more liberal laws governing marijuana and that hasn't led to increased consumption among youth and society in general, he said. He believes the same outcome would prove true in Canada if marijuana were to become part of a taxed, regulated market. If the authorities are loathe to do so out of concern about marijuana's psychological effects on users, "then shouldn't they be protecting us from a lot of other stuff we consume on a daily basis?" Mr. Graham argued, citing alcohol and cigarettes. Grind House Café owner Gerhard Marzinski uses marijuana on occasion - "I grew up in the '60s." Mr. Marzinski is a strong advocate of decriminalizing marijuana because it can be used for many things, from biofuels to cooking to cosmetics, he says. It's a renewable crop that makes the most beautiful paper in the world and clothing that rivals silk, he says. "I just don't believe we should be suppressing that, we should be embracing it and getting it to be part of our economic process." If government were to control the production and sale of marijuana to the public, it would generate more taxes, he says. "Take the criminal element out of it and ensure that the product was safe," he said. That would be better than what's happening now, with young people "buying crap off dealers," he said. "Personally, I think the health risks with alcohol or cigarettes are far, far greater." Mr. Marzinski said he's lost a few customers because his coffee shop plays host to the PACE events but most people are open-minded and they're willing to look at the aspects of what they're doing. "We're not selling the stuff, we're not smoking the stuff in here, we're not promoting that that happen," he said. "What we're after is, simply, let's decriminalize it. Our jails are full of people that got busted with a joint or two." Mr. Marzinski said government has no business interfering with people using marijuana as a recreational drug so long as it doesn't put other people at risk; in other words, treat it the same as alcohol and consume in moderation. Lisa Winegarden doesn't belong to PACE but she prints its brochures and shares its beliefs. Ms. Winegarden says she uses marijuana to help her relax but believes it helps her with her glaucoma. "It should be totally legalized," she said. "The benefits of it are unbelievable ... I don't see anything wrong with it." Many people have opted to use marijuana in place of prescription drugs because their side effects were brutal, worse than the pain they were experiencing, Ms. Winegarden said. "The biggest problem with it becoming legalized," she said, is that currently there is no test police can use to determine if a driver is high from using marijuana. Another hurdle to overcome is to change the views of an older generation whose attitude toward marijuana was shaped during the reefer madness era where all drugs are bad, Ms. Winegarden said. It's not a gateway drug, it's not an addictive drug but that doesn't preclude people becoming heavy users or moving on to harder drugs, she added. "A lot of people drink but not very many people are alcoholics," Ms. Winegarden said. http://www.northumberlandnews.com/news/trenthills/article/171475
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