RCMP Officer Legally Smokes Medical Marijuana for PTSD
Pot-smoking Mountie can’t smoke publicly in uniform: RCMP
Cpl. Ron Francis legally smokes marijuana daily while on duty to treat post-traumatic stress disorder
By Evan Dyer, CBC News Posted: Nov 28, 2013 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Nov 28, 2013 3:48 PM ET
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Mountie can’t smoke pot in uniform in public 2:20
RAW Mountie on PTSD and medical marijuana 3:10
RAW RCMP on marijuana use on the force 2:19
A Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer with a medical marijuana prescription thinks he should be able to smoke the drug while in uniform, but the RCMP says he can’t smoke marijuana while in red serge or while wearing his regular working uniform.
RCMP assistant commissioner Gilles Moreau said any officer with a medical marijuana prescription can take their medication, but should not do so in while in public in their uniform. (CBC)
Cpl. Ronald Francis serves with J Division in New Brunswick, and received a prescription for medical-grade marijuana on Nov. 4.
‘There’s no policy in the RCMP that prevents me from smoking marijuana. There’s no policy in the RCMP that says I cannot smoke in public. I have the right to smoke it in my red serge.’-Cpl. Ronald Francis
Francis told CBC News marijuana has helped him to calm down and reduces his PTSD symptoms. His prescription allows for three grams a day, which he estimates to be nine to 15 joints, though he said he doesn’t typically smoke that much.
“I get up in the morning, have my coffee and the marijuana. I go at lunchtime, have a marijuana joint, and then again in the evening. That would be my medical regime. But that may change with my tolerance to THC. It may take two joints in the morning, I don’t know,” said Francis.
“I’m just building up my immunity to THC levels, if I was to smoke two I’d probably get stoned to the point that I’m just totally relaxed. I’m still functional. But your nervous system is relaxed, and that makes a big difference,” he said.
Cpl. Francis said his choice to switch to medical marijuana was a health decision. (CBC)
Francis, who is currently assigned to administrative duties, said smoking marijuana has no negative effect on his ability to be a police officer and that he intends to continue smoking on the job.
“There’s no policy in the RCMP that prevents me from smoking marijuana. There’s no policy in the RCMP that says I cannot smoke in public. I have the right to smoke it in my red serge.”
RCMP says officers ‘should not be in red serge’ while smoking marijuana
But while the RCMP accepts that Francis’s prescription gives him the right to consume marijuana, the force takes issue with members smoking in public or in uniform.
“Definitely a member that has been prescribed medicinal marijuana should not be in red serge taking his medication,” said RCMP assistant commissioner Gilles Moreau. “It would not be advisable for that member, it would not portray the right message to the general public, it’s definitely not something we would support or condone.”
Moreau said the RCMP has a duty to accommodate members’ medical needs, but also has to consider the effect on other members and on public perceptions.
“Because this is relatively new for active members of the RCMP, we are looking at the internal policies to see, how do we set it up? To say, OK, if somebody is prescribed medical marijuana and they have to take it two or three times a day and have to take it at work, where is this going to take place? If it takes place outside, it has to respect the individual but also their co-workers, and it has to respect the Canadian population at large by taking it in a respectful way.”
The RCMP has the right to challenge medical treatments it considers inappropriate, and to seek a second medical opinion, Moreau said, adding that RCMP will evaluate any member who obtains a medical marijuana prescription.
If they are found to be impaired in judgment or motor skills, the RCMP will place limits on the police functions they’re permitted to perform, he said.
Turned to marijuana after trying anti-depressants
Francis said he experienced stress on the job early in his career, while serving the First Nation in Davis Inlet and in his own community of Kingsclear First Nation. He began to seek treatment for mental distress eight years ago.
At first, his doctors prescribed anti-depressants, but he did not feel any significant improvement.
“I started to self-medicate with alcohol. And I said no, this is not me. Why am I doing this? And I was going through treatment for PTSD at the time, and the RCMP did provide treatment, and I thank the RCMP for that.”
But Francis began to read about alternative treatments, including marijuana, and he eventually left the doctor he was seeing at the occupational stress injury clinic. He switched to a different doctor, who gave him the marijuana prescription.
“When I explored it as a treatment for my PTSD, I had to really make a moral decision about it. Because the RCMP and law enforcement, they seem so anti-marijuana, and that’s a hard thing to overcome, so I had to make that decision for my own health. It wasn’t based on my career or anything.
“It was for my own health. In doing that I realized that I have to come first. The organization doesn’t come first, Ron Francis comes first. For my own health. And I’m glad I did that,” he said.
You will find a number of educational posts on this blog, that I researched and posted after viewing Dr.Sanjay Gupta’s eye opening documentary this summer. As you can see the tide is turning. Cannabis is proving to be the most nutritionally complete vegetable on the planet as well as one of the most beneficial natural or prescription medicine for hundreds of diseases.
As we the general public are exposed to the far reaching health benefits and understand the fact that if CANNABIS is ingested raw and not exposed to heat, there are NO PSYCHOACTIVE EFFECTS, attitude and acceptance will change. I foresee in the not to distant future, that the general public WILL DEMAND the right to grow and use this vegetable as freely as the potato or tomato.***
Below are links to some of the information that opened my eyes to the medicine that so many are denied.
Dr. Gupta has my appreciation and gratitude for broaching this topic in such methodical well researched documentary.
Ricki Lake also hi-lighted this topic earlier this year and showed us real lives, extremely changed for the better by appropriate use of Cannabis.
Ricki Lake Show Mykayla Comstock Parents BraveMykayla.com – Meet the Martha Stewart of Marijuana
Cannabis is a complex issue. Here is some additional information that really opened my eyes.
THE PARENTS/PEOPLE IN THESE VIDEOS COULD BE ANY OF US. They were desperate, they listened, learned, took action.
It was information and education that opened their eyes and changed their whole world. THEY ARE NOT CRAZY – THEY ARE JUST MORE EDUCATED IN THE FACTS ABOUT CANNABIS.
What follows is some of the information available out there that really opened my eyes.
A must watch is found at the end of this post is The Best Marijuana Documentary (Canadian)
There is a lot of support in the Medical Community that can not be voiced due to retribution and loss of livelihood. Lets free our Medical Community to use this tool sooner rather than later. There is a lot of support also found in the Policing community as well, and they for the same reasons can not voice it.
The generation graduating today will change this if we do not. They are not afraid of Cannabis and believe it is safe. They will be reaping the legacy of huge health care deficits. They will force the issue out of financial necessity but from the basis of knowledge and science.
Your body makes cannabinoids naturally. It is in mothers milk to help make new born babies become hungry and learn to suckle.
“Cell membranes in the body are naturally equipped with these cannabinoid receptors which, when activated by cannabinoids and various other nutritive substances, protect cells against viruses, harmful bacteria, cancer, and other malignancies. And human breast milk is an abundant source of endocannabinoids, a specific type of neuromodulatory lipid that basically teaches a newborn child how to eat by stimulating the suckling process.”
Don’t you find it interesting that the human body comes equipped with cannabinoid receptors and that when they are activated, they protect cells against viruses, harmful bacteria, cancer, and other malignancies?
Isn’t it also interesting thathuman breast milk is an abundant source of endocannabinoids? We know most babies, when born, are endowed with the benefits of it’s mothers immunities for the first few months allowing the baby a chance to develop it’s own immune system more fully. Does it then, not also make sense that these cannabinoids might need augmentingwhen our bodies are stressed by certain conditions like cancer?
We, all human beings come with built in equipment so our bodies can defend and repair itself through the use of cannabinoids.
HMMMMM!
So it would be logical to anticipate that if the body is unable to repair itself due to being overwhelmed by viruses, harmful bacteria, cancer, and other malignancies – giving this substance to the body would enable it to revitalize that defense mechanism ?
Wouldn’t that then explain the results of many studies over many decades showing a wide range of medicinal benefits to people who suffer from Parkinson’s to Cancer and pretty much every thing in between?.
Yet Marijuana/Cannabis has been criminalized and demonized, denying the public at large a safe effective medicinal solution with no horribly detrimental side effects when used appropriately.
Also very interestingly – No one has ever died from a Cannabis overdose. The same cannot be said for many of the man made pharmaceuticals which treat the same health concerns.
Cannabis is a VEGTABLE
Raw Cannabis IS NOT PSYCHO-ACTIVE
Cannabis provides highly digestible globular protein, which is balanced for all of the Essential Amino Acids. Cannabis provides the ideal ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids. Critically, cannabis is the only known source of the Essential Cannabinoid Acids. It is clear that all 7 billion individuals would benefit from access to cannabis as a unique functional food.
Alcohol, a large portion of pharmaceuticals, glue, certain permanent markers, various hallucinogenic herbs, aspartame, tobacco etc. are all legal or legal but controlled.
Most street drugs and Cannabis/ Marijuana are illegal.
Of this group only Marijuana/Cannabis can be categorized as non lethal in all dosages.
What do the majority of these substances have in common WHEN NOT USED IN MODERATION:
can be addictive ,
impact brain development in the frontal cortex in people under 25,
Prescription Drugs45% (Depressants, opioids and antidepressants)
Street Drugs Combined 39% (Amphetamine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Cocaine)
Conclusions
Alcohol is the second most deadly and the most accessible
Prescription Drugs are the most deadly and second most accessible
Street Drugs are third most deadly and accessible
Cannabis does not cause death
Cannabis is less addictive than street drugs or alcohol (no numbers readily available for prescription drug addiction)
Cannabis has numerous studies to support use as a medical alternative for numerous more dangerous pharmaceuticals.
Billions annually could be reallocated if cannabis was regulated, marketed and controlled similar to alcohol or tobacco.
Low THC – high Cannabinoid strains could be grown without any more oversight than crops like wheat.
High THC – high Cannabinoid strains could be grown with appropriate monitoring and security engaged during late growth stages and processing .
A legalized cannabis industry could create billions of dollars in income and a significant boost to jobs. This industry properly handled could be a huge source of tax income.
We would solve many issues and have a multi billion dollar hemp economy as it can be used for 1000’s of products.
Proper education programs for young people could be created – give them the whole picture. Regulate high THC content Marijuana/Cannabis just like alcohol and tobacco
Alcohol is the most used substance by young people and it has the highest death rate.
We are focusing on the wrong substance if the goal is to protect our people, young or older from themselves as alcohol has much higher death and addiction rates and is consumed by a much larger segment of the population. It does not scientifically show many medical benefits.
Only a small minority would abuse Cannabis/Marijuana – they will do that whether it is legal or illegal.
Decriminalizing Cannabis would remove the criminal element from profiting, while freeing up resources that could be much better used elsewhere. Just think how many less jail cells would be needed – the financial windfall from that alone would be staggering.
I, like most of you, have watched people use the recreational substances of alcohol and cannabis. Almost everyone has seen the nicest, smartest people become idiots when they drink more than moderate amounts.
People on an alcohol high (drunk)
Engage in riskier behavior
Show more dramatic emotional responses ( crying, fighting, are less easy to reason with, become agitated far more readily,
Are less coherent, often are unable to follow direct commands
Much more likely to have a physical reaction, vomiting, stumbling, falling, unconsciousness,
Addiction is very difficult to overcome, severe relapses can pose a huge threat to others
People on a cannabis high(stoned)
Are typically happy and easy to get along with
May seem more lethargic but in control of their faculties and bodies
May not show any noticeable physical reaction
Can follow direct commands
Addiction can be difficult to overcome, severe relapses typically only pose a threat to themselves and that threat is the relapse into use.
In the event of a life threatening event, I would much prefer my children be in the hands of someone high on cannabis than someone who is drunk.
It is time to start really looking at the facts.
None of the above mind altering substances are toys for fun and games, whether they are legal or not. It is obvious and incontrovertible through scientific investigation and anecdotal experience that Cannabis causes the least negative impact socially and financially to society and the individual.
When juiced raw it is an unparalleled nutritional powerhouse with no hallucinogenic effects
Scientific studies of cannabis, some dating back decades show very significant medical efficacy.
The US government holds patents cannabinoids.
How is it any longer acceptable and accepted that a more realistic and practical categorization of Cannabis be denied the populace at large?
How is it that we, as a civilized society continue to allow;
Billions upon Billions of wasted tax dollars and man hours on something that has never killed anyone.
Millions of patients to be subjected to Pharmaceuticals that further endanger their lives or quality of life due to destructive side effects, but continue to deny them access to a scientifically safer alternative.
THESE ARE QUESTIONS WE EACH NEED TO ASK OURSELVES.
I charge each and every one of you to ask any first responders you know, who they would rather deal have to deal with:
Someone who is using:
Cannabis
Alcohol
Prescription Drugs(Depressants, opioids and antidepressants)
Street Drugs Combined (Amphetamine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Cocaine)
Or is not using anything but is in a heightened mental state like anger or psychosis.
I suspect you will get he same answer as I did. It was unanimous – the person using Cannabis.
There will always be those who will abuse substances, from mouth washes and aftershaves that contain alcohol to glue and gasoline that you can sniff. People have died from abusing each of those substances. Yet we didn’t make those substances unobtainable legally to the rest of the population. We the general public would never be in a position to compete and take any of that business away.
On the other hand, if Cannabis were re-categorized, you could grow a marijuana plant in a pot in your apartment window and reap the health benefits. If everybody grew a few plants to juice and keep themselves healthy, that could cut into the profits derived from a lot of different products marketed commercially today, Other companies would create legal cannabis products like leaf juice that would still put most of that same money into the economy and health care legally.
If we were so inclined – we could make a number of alcohols in our homes and grow their main in ingredients without breaking any laws. Most of us choose not to. I believe the same would true of Cannabis.It being illegal makes it more attractive to the criminal element for it’s profitability.
Prohibition created a huge underground economy, large government enforcement agencies and made would be criminals out of the general public. The same has occurred with Cannabis and as you can see from the statistics above, it does a lot less harm. It is long past time to move forward.
Not so long ago many OTC drugs were mainly in the domain pharmacists. There were huge fears what would happen out here in the real world. The reality is most of us use them as intended and a the few abuse them. Should we really expect anything different from Cannabis.
It clearly is not a cocaine. opium, heroin or ecstasy. Without the cachet and the profit, the criminal element would loose interest.
There could be huge business with so many spin off jobs and businesses. Only a bit of barley, wheat, corn etc goes into making alcohol. Only a bit of certain plants at a certain point in maturation contain the THC which only becomes psychoactive when heated.
That is why it didn’t warrant the attention of the general public before 1937 and was in the hands of farmers and businesses.
One person, Henry J. Ainslinger, made it his mission to change this and make a name for himself. Others saw an opportunity to protect their interests and got on that bandwagon. Those interests are just as real today so the funding and support of the bandwagon continues.
Today we know so much more – Cannabis is no longer the big scary beast we were told it was. Due to the internet, that knowledge is out here for us all to see. The wheels are starting to fall off this bandwagon state by state and special interests and agendas can no longer keep up.
Soon it will translate to the Federal level as the old guard and their alliances are replaced. As the groundswell grows it will be interesting to see how it is dealt with by leadership candidates.
The various parts of Cannabis being sold through appropriate retailers would allow regulation and control. Pharmacies or liquor stores for the part that contains THC actives. The leaves which contain no THC could be harvested and be handled like wheat grass. The cold pressed oil and the hemp hearts would go on the grocery shelves and the fiber would go out to industry to make canvas, rope, bio-fuel, pulp and paper fiber, cloth and 1000’s of everyday products.
There is no question, we have to start reducing health care costs. We as a society don’t have the resources to support the needs of our aging society without some major changes. More of us will be needing the solutions cannabis can provide. Many current pharmaceuticals come with costly negative side effects that require even further intervention. Where possible, we must move to use the most effective, cost effective, responsible, least detrimental solutions. Cannabis is the only possible solution on the horizon that offers major change with an affordable price tag.
Cannabis could put as much legal employment and money into the economy as commodities like corn, wheat. soy, canola or forest products. You and I could grow any of these but we don’t bother too unless we have a market or a purpose. We do buy the end products of these crops from retailers like department stores. liquor stores, grocery stores, pharmacies etc.
Marijuana/Cannabis was once a medicine available to our doctors. It was also a cash crop for the fiber. I know of European Immigrants who came to our area early last century who grew Hemp/Cannabis . Everything was put to use, People made tea or incorporated Marijuana/Cannabis oil into foods including desserts. The leaf of the plant has no THC but has been shown to have huge stores of beneficial nutrients. THC concentrations were much lower but the cannabinoids were likely similar. The Hemp fiber portion was put to use in so many ways. The crops left the soil in very good condition for the next crop.
How can we get back to where this can be grown in gardens by you and all your neighbors. Farmers can farm it freely. We can go back to using in our everyday life as a vegetable. Millions of trees could be saved every year, keeping our planet greener. Hemp/Cannabis being an annual crop is a very renewable resource and an excellent bio fuel source. Oil is not a renewable resource – we are using something we can not replace for future generations.
It is time to start considering the legacy we as a society are choosing to leave behind. When our actions serve only ourselves today – we serve no one. When our actions serve others – we provide service to everyone today and in the future.
Forward movement is happening as evidenced by the following article and the Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Ricki Lake and PBS broadcasts.
Note that industrial Marijuana contains very little if any THC – YET IT IS ALSO ILLEGAL TO GROW.
“Springfield, Colo., farmer Ryan Loflin on Monday planted the nation’s first industrial hemp crop (Cannabis Sativa) in almost 60 years,” The Denver Postreports.
Suck it, prohibition!
The United States banned the food, fuel and fiber in 1937, and we currently import tons of it, mostly from China. Below, Hemp for Victory, a piece of American propaganda during World War II detailing hemp’s rich history, which goes back thousands of years.
Uploaded on Aug 15, 2010 – Comments that followed the video
Produced by the US Government in 1942…Interesting to learn that Dupont Chemical funded the anti- hemp / marijuana effort. This is because they had patents on new synthetic fibers and Hemp had a new machine that would put them out of business if hemp were to be used for clothes. Dupont also sold – and still does many of the chemicals to wood pulp producers… so we continue to cut down forests… when Hemp could save millions of trees, be used as an alternative bio fuel and the US could easily grow enough hemp to eliminate the need for oil… so Big oil does not want hemp legal either. Neither do the drug companies… they can’t patent it. They would rather keep selling you their drugs. By keeping it illegal the lawyers, courts etc… also make a buck. You can only get high from the female flower – nobody has ever died from smoking a joint. Of course the alcohol and tobacco companies would prefer to keep their monopoly as well. So we have all the BIG Corporate players… against legalizing it. Yet if it were legalized – we would solve many issues and have a multi billion dollar hemp economy as it can be used for 1000’s of products. A few other good films to watch are run from the cure & hemp conspiracy – Google it!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kybQTt…
I watched helplessly as my father, uncle, mother in law and father in law died very painfully wasting away from cancer. My great grandmother was tortured by Parkinson’s in her later years. I have an epileptic cousin, whose life is a nightmare due to epilepsy induced by head trauma. My husband has to use Oxycontin for pain from damage caused by 3 separate back injuries.
From what I have learned – each and every one of them could have been or could be spared so much agony. It angers me greatly, that we the masses have been and continue to be so duped and denied this natural medicine, this natural herb, this natural fiber and this natural oil,
I have 1 mother, I husband, 5 siblings, 4 children, 5 grandchildren. By today’s statistics, 1 in 3 of us will get cancer – that is 5 of us. I want us to have cannabis as a choice for our therapy so we don’t have to experience the nightmare medical choices for treatment currently available, most of which don’t work any better than they did 50 years ago. I want the cannabis therapies to be legal, accessible and affordable. Our bodies are made to use cannabinoids – our newborns thrive on them in our breast milk. our bodies use them everyday to keep our brains, bodies and immune functions operating well.
Watching all these people in these videos regain their health and ability to function fully as contributing members of society, removing them from needing so much of the health care budget, shows not only can they benefit, but potentially every single one of us.
From Diabetes to Alzheimer’s, from Parkinson’s to COPD, from MS to Cancer, from Lupus to Crohn’s, almost every imaginable condition including malnutrition and pregnancy would alleviated or improved by Cannabis in one of it’s various consumable forms. There is now the science from all over the world to show this.
Doesn’t It boggle your my mind, that we as a society, can all get brain washed against our best interest by a few with special interest agendas?
How is it that BIG BUSINESS and individual agendas have run our countries and promoted their twisted version of the facts AND WE LET THEM? Especially, when from all appearances, we the masses are THE BIGGEST LOSERS in this whole scenario.
We as North Americans need to support the Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s, Dr Shakefords and all of the other researchers who are bringing old and new information to light.
Our fore-bearers must be rolling in their graves constantly – watching us fall for the Propaganda – HOOK, LINE and SINKER.
My grandfather was a soldier after WWI, My father and uncles fought in WW11. That is a statement that true for many of us. Cannabis Sativa was grown to support the WW11 war effort.
My father got cancer and the cancer eventually killed him after putting him through extended torture. His brothers all but one died of various cancers – they too suffered unmercifully.
Yet when, they, my family were dying horrible agonizing deaths from cancer – Cannabis was not a choice. The knowledge of it’s efficacy as a cancer cure and a pain medication were purposely hidden from us under the guise of Cannabis being a horrible drug. A few involved in GOVERNMENTS, LAW and BIG BUSINESS not just the Pharmaceutical Giants were and continue to be complicit in the effort. That too will change as public opinion forces it to.
There are many effective cancer cures – you can’t patent them. They are natural to this planet and should be available to every inhabitant. Prevention really is the key. Our bodies create aberrant cells every day. We have multiple defense mechanisms that prevent proliferation and cause those cells to die. Cannabinoids play a very large and crucial role in defending our bodies.
Exercise, hydration, nutrition oxygenation, circulation, detoxification, PH balance, adequate quality sleep, a positive attitude, a supportive belief system are tools for a optimally functioning Immune System. Cannabinoids dramatically improve functioning of a compromised immune system. THC plays a huge role in pain control, aberrant brain function, mood and anxiety reduction.
This blog was created to share information on simple choices that can provide the body what it needs to create better health and wellness. It would be irresponsible for me to ignore Cannabis, when it is clearly a is a scientifically supported solution.
One of those choices for some people will be cannabis in various forms. For Cannabis to be available to everyone who is in need, regulation and laws need to change as well as false beliefs. Education and research will pave the way for change. Thanks to Dr.Sanjay Gupta and his approach, the lines of communication will be expanded on this topic, getting this message into the mainstream.
Research shows us:
“Cell membranes in the body are naturally equipped with these cannabinoid receptors which,when activated by cannabinoids and various other nutritive substances, protect cells against viruses, harmful bacteria, cancer, and other malignancies. Human breast milk is an abundant source of endocannabinoids, a specific type of neuromodulatory lipid that basically teaches a newborn child how to eat by stimulating the suckling process.”
Through lies and false propaganda – THIS CHOICE HAS BEEN STOLEN FROM US. WE NEED TO CORRECT THAT SITUATION sooner rather than later – we owe it to our for-bearers, ourselves and our children.
Get educated, active and involved – no matter your age, race, color, creed, sex, or religion – no matter who you are, this affects your future choices in so many areas.
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, stated over a thousand years ago “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
We need to start embracing his wisdom and reclaiming this treasure from nature for the use and benefit of everyone. On an individual health basis, good natural nutrient rich food, herbs and spices have been a mainstay and remain so.
The list of diseases and conditions that see beneficial results from cannabis therapy in one of it’s various forms is truly staggering. The most effective results are obtained from the real plant.
We, every mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, niece or nephew who has someone in our life who has or is suffering needlessly are the ones who need to speak up and do our part for change to occur.
Change that is long overdue and much needed. It can come about and it will as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow. 100 years from now this prohibition will be looked back upon much like the Alcohol Prohibition. That was changed because of the masses speaking up, so will this situation.
Pharmaceutical companies have created some synthetic drugs but the efficacy is not there and likely never will be.
RCMP assistant commissioner Gilles Moreau said any officer with a medical marijuana prescription can take their medication, but should not do so in while in public in their uniform. (CBC)
Cpl. Francis said his choice to switch to medical marijuana was a health decision. (CBC)
All About Wellness Solutions 