Letters to the editor | 9-5-14

Stop sensationalizing, demonizing cannabis

Why, after all these years, does the media continue to sensationalize and demonize cannabis, while never choosing to show its benefits? Anyone with the slightest knowledge of cannabis knows that it would never make someone speed, let alone drive 100 mph.

Since Colorado legalized cannabis this year for adults, traffic fatalities have decreased 25 percent. In addition, states that have legalized medical cannabis have a 25 percent lower death rate from prescription opioids than do the states who still prohibit any form of legal cannabis.

Prescription drug deaths have now surpassed traffic fatalities in most states, largely because of Oxycontin and other very addictive opioids. And three out of four heroin addicts started on Oxycontin, which is why “Oxy” is also referred to as “hillbilly heroin.”

Meanwhile, nobody has ever died from a cannabis overdose. Cannabis can be a wonderful medication for the relief of nausea, migraines, chemotherapy effects, seizures, nerve pain, fibromyalgia, severe muscle spasms, insomnia, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder. The media does a great disservice when it perpetuates the government imposed double standard that pretends that cannabis is more dangerous than opium. Cannabis is actually safer than Tylenol and aspirin and is less addicting than coffee and tea.

Let’s make the world a better place by stopping this ridiculous charade.

Charlie Webb, MD

Kailua-Kona

Thanks for the advice — it saved a life

Thanks to the Hawaii Horse Expo 2014 for saving me from a serious and very possibly fatal head injury. I had never ridden with a helmet before thinking that it wasn’t cool and my horse would never hurt me. After listening to one of the excellent speakers, I heeded his advice that accidents will happen, regardless.

Three days later, my horse lay down in the road and rolled on me because of a stomach ailment. My head, in the helmet, hit the pavement hard, but I suffered only scrapes because I was able to quickly get out of his way. I am grateful to excellent equine veterinarians and clinicians from our Island of Hawaii and the mainland, as well as the numerous volunteers for giving us such a wonderful opportunity to be better horse owners.

Joyce Oconnor

Waimea