Re Health Canada Eyes Crackdown On Medpot Patients Who Grow Their Own (NOW Online, March 21).
This should not be an issue. Patients have the legal right to grow their own cannabis. If there have been issues with supply entering the illicit market then those people need to be held criminally responsible. However, Health Canada comparing usage recommended by doctors versus Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) data is incomprehensible to me.
Medical marijuana users, for one, cannot afford the prices of Licensed Producers and are using their medicine completely differently (i.e. making their own edibles, topicals, teas, bath bombs etc) which all take large amounts of cannabis.
If a patient cannot have access to their medicine – it already takes Health Canada eight months to authorize their grow license – where will this leave them? There is still the stigma surrounding cannabis. No, it is definitely not okay for any changes to be made to these regulations.
Bridget Watson-Favaro – From NOWTORONTO.COM
Medpot changes carry whiff of lobbyist manipulation
I don’t have much confidence in Health Canada’s objectivity when it comes to consumers’ health interests.
Health Canada allowed novelty-flavoured vaping products to be fully marketed without conclusive independent scientific proof that the products, as claimed by Big Tobacco, would not harm consumers.
To me, proposed changes to cannabis regulations for medical marijuana users smells of lobbyist manipulation.
Frank Sterle Jr. – From NOWTORONTO.COM
Birch Cliff versus Cliffside
Re Five Places To Live And Eat In Scarborough (NOW, March 25-31). Not to nitpick but the Art Of BBQ and Anna Roti House are in Cliffside, not Birch Cliff. Also, housing in Cliffside is arguably more affordable than Birch Cliff, where a lot of bungalows are being split off into modern 3-storey homes, the same as Birch Cliff.
Hector C. – From NOWTORONTO.COM
Working through our COVID obsessions
In response to Ellis Portal’s comment on We May Be Getting Too Used To Living In Our COVID Cages (NOW Online, March 19). That person stepping back in line ups or walking across the street as you pass them on the street is just protecting the people they love. Try not to take it personally and simply understand some people are trying their best for those that are vulnerable.
Paranoia is based on the idea that the fear is delusional or irrational but there is nothing delusional about this pandemic. Some people may seem to be going overboard but they are making split-second decisions. It’s not our place to judge.
If someone doesn’t want to let me on an elevator, crosses the street when I pass or steps away from me, I am gratified they are doing their best to help all of us get through this. That fills me with hope.
Ray Caesar – From NOWTORONTO.COM
Of straight men having sex with other men
Re Sex Between Straight Men Challenges Traditional Sexual Identities (NOW Online, March 23). l have no idea where I fit on the spectrum. My first sexual encounter was with a male cousin who convinced me that it would be fun and nobody needs to know. I was 11 years old and had no clue what the hell he was talking about until his penis entered my rectum. lt actually didn’t hurt.
I didn’t have any sexual encounters for another four years and it was always with females and I really thought that was awesome. Then in the late 70s I went out clubbing and met this guy. I was totally taken with him and dated him for months.
I eventually got married but when I got the urge to experiment I turned to men and prostitutes. There was no guilt or remorse. I’m now in my early 60s and find I love my own company most and there’s porn on the internet. Straight men having sex with other straight men should not be that unique.
Gary Schumacher – From NOWTORONTO.COM
No excuse for Doug Ford’s climate inaction
We have already been warmed by the Intergovernmental Panel that we have less than a decade to prevent climate disaster. We need permanent climate laws put in place that are unchangeable in the face of ever-changing leaders. No matter which government is in power, they must adhere to these laws.
In Ontario, the Ford government wants to pave over wetlands and build two massive superhighways in our Greenbelt, affecting the environment as a whole and creating more pollution. The Ford government is overriding laws to push through development without environmental approval. There is no excuse for putting climate action first.
Janet Civiero – From NOWTORONTO.COM