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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, October 8, 2015 | 6 The marijuana debate: where do they stand? by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff Spotlight "Connected to your Community" With legalization of marijuana an issue in this year's federal election, local of cials, candidates and others are speaking up to provide insight. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has had the most-publicized stance regarding marijuana, stating legalization would make it tougher for minors to buy and would take money away from organized crime. He proposes marijuana sales be strictly regulated and has committed to work with the provinces to ensure it is done responsibly. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair has said he supports the decriminalization of marijuana, but feels its health impacts require further examination and has not committed to its legalization. The Green Party calls for its legalization and advocates taxation of marijuana and the creation of a regulatory framework for its safe production by small independent growers. Meanwhile, the Conservative Party of Canada is against legalization of marijuana and its party leader Stephen Harper vows it will not happen under his government. While Halton Region's Health Department declined to weigh in on the debate, it did provide information on the drug's health impacts. The Region noted contrary to popular opinion, marijuana does have an addictive quality and heavy and/or prolonged use can lead to physical or psychological dependency. They said users develop a tolerance to THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinol) and require higher doses more frequently to get the same effect. If chronic users of high doses of THC try to stop suddenly , they will have withdrawal symptoms. The Region listed the short-term effects of marijuana use to include: · altered perception of time, distance and space; · impaired judgment; · loss of coordination; · disorientation; · red eye; · dry mouth and throat; · increased appetite (the munchies); · sleepiness; · racing heart rate; · panic attacks or feeling paranoid. The Region said the effects are worse when mixed with alcohol, and noted if smoked frequently, regular use can: · make it difficult for the user to concentrate; The proposed legalization of marijuana is a key issue in the upcoming Oct. 19 federal election. The Oakville Beaver spoke with numerous sources and asked the candidates in the ridings of Oakville and Oakville North--Burlington to weigh in. | Oakville Beaver le photo · reduce memory or attention span; · result in problems with school and work; · produce a psychological or physical dependence; · increase the risk of lung cancer; · worsen mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. While marijuana may have some negative health impacts, for some it is an important pain relief option. Ronan Levy is the director and general council for Canadian Cannabis Clinic, which provides assessments and referrals to patients so they can order medicinal marijuana. Most patients seen at his clinics are those dealing with chronic pain. Others include people living with MS (Multiple Sclerosis), Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, anxiety and glaucoma. Levy noted while he does not take a strong political stance on the legalization of marijuana, he does believe it makes sense. "There are many people who smoke pot at some point in their lives recreationally, I'd say a signi cant portion of the population. To criminalize something that a lot of people do anyway seems a little short-sighted," said Levy. "It just puts people into jail and creates scenarios where worse outcomes are more likely than good outcomes. So, from an economic and societal perspective, I think there is a lot of merit to legalization." Levy acknowledged there are risks associated with blanket legalization, but argued the bene ts outweigh them. He said he is not worried about the impact legalization would have on his business as he expects any legalization process would probably follow the Colorado, U.S., model, which sees recreational marijuana taxed heavily and medicinal marijuana not taxed at all. "What they saw in Colorado was the medicinal (marijuana) market actually tripled in size after recreational cannabis was legalized, in part because I think it just became more normalized," said Levy. The local law enforcement community takes a dim view of the legalization of marijuana. Halton police spokesperson Sgt. Chantal Corner, said the Halton Regional Police Service, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police all oppose legalization of marijuana. "We understand the current process of sending simple drug possession cases to criminal court places a signi cant burden on the justice system and we clearly understand that enforcement alone is not a solution," said Corner. "The Halton Regional Police supports the need to expand the range of enforcement options available and is committed, along with our partners, to looking for alternatives in assisting those living with addictions." Corner said an example of this commitment is the Halton police partnership with the Halton Equitable Drug Strategy (HEDS). HEDS is a municipal drug strategy , a collaborative plan to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of Halton residents by working together to reduce the harms associated with substance abuse. Oakville resident M.B., (whose name has been withheld) is a college student and an everyday marijuana smoker, who said he is con icted about the potential legalization of the drug. For the last six years, M.B. said he has been trying to kick his drug habit by participating in various local youth rehabilitation groups. So far, he has not been successful. "It is a struggle.... There is this (an) urban legend people seem to rmly believe, I heard it in high school a lot, that marijuana isn't addictive," said M.B., adding, "Then you try to go two weeks without it." While M.B. said part of him would welcome a blanket legalization of marijuana, so it would be easier for him to get, another side of him worries the widespread belief that marijuana is harmless may lead to mass addiction. "There hasn't been enough of a spotlight on that addiction aspect of marijuana," said M.B. "It's illegal, but why is it illegal? The two sides of the argument are very extreme and the truth is somewhere in the middle. There needs to be more research because this could be a success and keep crime off the streets and bring in lots of money or it could start up an addictive lifestyle for a lot more people." While marijuana is often referred to as a gateway drug, M.B. takes issue with that characterization. see The on p.7 NEIL OLIVER Vice ­President and Group Publisher DAVID HARVEY Regional General Manager Volume 53 | Number 80 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington (905) 845-3824 Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. DANIEL BAIRD Director of Advertising ANGELA BLACKBURN Managing Editor Editorial Department (905) 845-3824 Advertising Department (905) 845-3824 Classi ed Advertising (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095