LETTER: Decision to ban edibles is irrational and uninformed
–Lori Rittaler
I would like to express my disappointment at VIHA’s recent decision to ban edibles based on one anonymous complaint.
I was diagnosed with MS, then Lyme Disease last spring. I spent the summer doing a 42 day high dosage antibiotic treatment (Ceftriaxone). I am a 50 year old single mother of a 12 year old. I thought I was going to die this summer and leave my child an orphan.
I do not like to smoke pot, neither do I like to take capsules. I eat edibles. Period. They are the only way I made it through that summer of hell.
VIHA, you do not understand how your rash decision has affected and negatively impacted my life. I am still not well. I am not swallowing a capsule. I am an adult and I will continue to eat edibles.
By the way, what is a capsule? IT IS AN EDIBLE!! If you are concerned about the safety of children, don’t be. Edibles are safer than opiates, medications, guns, alcohol and certainly cigarettes and it is up to adults to responsibly keep them out of reach of children. It is also up to adults to educate themselves on dosage and consumption.
How about Flinstone Vitamins and flavoured cough syrup? Will VIHA ban those too? Because a child could die consuming those as well.
Cannabis might make someone sleep or vomit or get paranoid, but the others KILL!
If I go to a farmer’s market, where does that jar of jam come from? Is it a VIHA certified kitchen? How about those veggies? Are they VIHA certified? They shouldn’t have to be. That is ridiculous! My edibles come from a VIHA certified kitchen and the employees have their food safe. There are plenty of testing facilities where edibles can be tested and consumed with accuracy.
My doctor from the Centre for Disease Control encouraged my use of edibles throughout my protocol and continues to do so; it helped with nausea and let me sleep. I do not and will not take sleeping pills. Too many side effects. My MS doctor also supports my decision to consume edibles, as well as my GP.
VIHA — Dr. Stanwick — should not be able to make rash decisions such as this. As far as I am concerned, he should step down from his position.
This is an uneducated and completely irrational decision. If someone is not operating from a VIHA certified kitchen, then that company should be reprimanded, not the people who need the medicine!
Now I have to go underground to find my edibles and that is NOT okay!
I just want to add that cannabis is a natural plant that has been used for tens of thousands of years and cannabis IS the main ingredient in edibles.
All of you who feel as strongly as I do about this unethical edible ban, please send your thoughts to info@viha.ca
Lori Rittaler,
Sommelier
Sooke
Lori you have my families full support.
We rely on edibles at times too and we will be sending our thoughts to VIHA.
Thank you for being brave and speaking up.
All it takes is one whiner.
Not everyone smokes, some can’t
VIHA should learn more about what helps people in pain!!!
642 Cannabis
Bravo for your honesty!The bureacrats and health officials need to understand the importance of edibles for people with painful diseases that do not cope well smoking.
It’s nice to not have to smell the damn smoke, anyway.
Well I have to say you are against the majority. Most of the people here in Sooke and elsewhere are recreational users. They use pot to get high! I would be interested to see who goes into the 3 pot shops here in Sooke. We are in the wild west here. Drugs rule. It is ruining our society here. If you are going to present your needs as a medical issue you will need to prove that you aren’t a druggie.
The last time I went to the cannabis dispensary the other woman buying was certainly over 50 and had very painful mobility issues. By the way, I am 65 this week and go about in a powerchair
Making Cannabis illegal in 1935 in the US was one of the more stupid, illogical laws ever foisted upon civilization. For it to continue is absurd. It’s a natural plant of the Earth and people should be able to do what they want with it. Don’t tell me what I can or cannot do to my body, it’s none of your business.
It’s interesting. Even the insurance companies no longer consider occasional marijuana consumption as “smoker” rates. Up until last year, people who consumed Marijuana products paid higher premiums for life, disability and critical illness insurance. Not any more.