Legalise it and I will advertise it

May 27, 2018 Features / Columnists, Letters

Dear Editor,
My attention was drawn to a missive by Mr. Rooplall Dudhnath titled ‘Legalising marijuana has serious disadvantages’.
Let me begin by saying that I have never smoked or took marijuana in any form. It is just a personal choice combined with the fact that as a doctor if I am caught doing anything illegal, I can lose my licence to practise.
Mr. Dudhnath argued that smoking marijuana has lots of problems but failed to outline these many problems. Quite frankly, the only problem associated with marijuana is probable psychosis and paranoia.
Quite frankly, being paranoid in Guyana is not a bad thing. It may just make the populace less trusting of politicians. Also, I’m a very paranoid person and never smoked weed.
My question is, is that a justifiable reason not to legalise marijuana?
Mr. Editor, I’ve been a medical doctor, albeit not a psychiatrist, practising for 17 years. I am still to see a single case of a patient with medical side effects from marijuana.
The psychiatrists may or may not have a different opinion. I have practised in both Guyana and St. Lucia and presently practising in the UK.
Let’s look at other psycho-active substances and their associated problems. Alcohol has very serious problems. I have literally seen lots of patients with alcohol-related problems.
I will name a few. Cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, delirium tremens, malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, kordakoff syndrome, cerebellar atrophy, cerebellar ataxia, pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, portal hypertension, gastric erosion, gastric ulcers, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, gastric cancer, oesophageal varicies, oesophageal cancer, oropharyngeal cancers, death, etc.
Mr. Editor, this is not one tenth of the medical problems associated with alcohol yet it is legal. Also, I have not touched on the social consequences of alcoholism, the broken families, morbid jealousy, poverty, motor vehicular accidents, etc.
Can we really defend alcohol use yet demonise marijuana?
Let’s look at another commonly used psychoactive substances- namely tobacco.
Again tobacco smoking has lots of medical side effects. I have seen many patients presenting to me with lots of problems associated with smoking. Some of these problems include chronic bronchitis, emphysema, oropharyngeal cancers, oesophageal cancers, lung cancers, predisposition to pneumonias, stomach cancer, bladder cancer, oxygen dependence, acute myocardial infarction, stroke, peripheral vascular disease , limb amputation and death, to name a few.
And what about the social consequences- namely oxygen dependence- which can result in unemployment.
Mr. Editor, the two mentioned psychoactive substances (tobacco and alcohol) have serious medical and social problems yet they are legal.
How can one argue for legalising these substances yet making marijuana illegal, a drug that has lots of medicinal purposes but we ignore them. I will ask Mr Dudhnath a simple question, in those countries that have legalised marijuana use, have they reported any problems? The answer is no.
I personally think there are very strong arguments for making both tobacco and alcohol illegal. To me, they are much more detrimental than marijuana.
As I have said before, I do not smoke marijuana and have never smoked it but I have many friends who do. I think making marijuana illegal was more political rather than medical. I would say quite frankly, let the people smoke in peace. To each his own.
In closing, I will say legalise it and I will advertise it.
Dr. Mark Devonish

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