in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 27 ,2 01 8 | 32 Michele Parrotta, man- ager of Cannabis Supply Co. on Plains Road East in Burlington, explained some of the positive effects of cannabis and the deliv- ery methods. Cannabis (marijuana, hash and hash oils) con- tains more than 400 chem- icals, 80 are unique to the marijuana plant. The mood-altering chemical in marijuana is tetrahydro- cannabinol (THC) and the strength and effect of mar- ijuana depends on the amount of THC. The cannabidiol (CBD) in cannabis has no psycho- active ingredients, so us- ers don't experience the "high" and will not be im- paired, Parrotta ex- plained. She said it is non- intoxicating and has amazing properties. It helps as anti- anxiety, in- flammatory, nausea, con- vulsant, spasm, tremor and muscle relaxant. At Cannabis Supply Co., those seeking medical access to cannabis should schedule an appointment with a nurse practitioner, who can make recommen- dations and provide a pre- scription, or teach a family physician how to pre- scribe it. The latter rarely happens, Parrotta said. "We are still dealing with a stigma; only about four per cent of physicians will prescribe it," she said, which is where Cannabis Supply Co. can help. "I've got seniors out golfing again, who haven't been able to do so in years, and that's just from using the CBD," she said. They have also applied for a licence to operate as a dispensary when that be- comes legal in April. Currently the boutique store is servicing some 3,000 people and Parrotta expects that will continue to grow as more residents come in to browse and learn more about canna- bis since its legalization. For Parrotta, providing guidance and support is the best part of her occu- pation. Having worked at the store since it opened three years ago, she defi- nitely knows her products and believes in the respon- sible consumption of can- nabis to relieve multiple ailments: arthritis, mi- graines, Alzheimer's, sleep disorders, depres- sion, chronic pain, lupus, back and neck problems and epilepsy. In her case, she said cannabis helps prevent painful muscle spasms. They recommend one of 12 licensed producers for the supply of cannabis. "It's always available for those who have their prescription," she said, adding that she prefers the use of cannabis to treat a variety of ailments rather than using a chemical pill. "It's a flower. It's not a pill produced on an assembly line." But Halton Region's health department doesn't share the same senti- ments. Elizabeth Kosturik, communications special- ist at Halton Region, said there are both short and long-term effects of using cannabis, and the only way to completely avoid the risks associated with cannabis use is to not use it. She cited the following as short-term risks: anxi- ety, fear or panic, confu- sion, decreased blood pressure (can cause dizzi- ness or fainting), impaired ability to concentrate, fo- cus or remember things, increased heart rate (in- creasing the risk of heart attack in those with heart conditions), reduced abili- ty to react quickly, sleepi- ness and paranoia and/or delusional thoughts. The long-term effects she listed as: bronchitis, lung infections, chronic long-term cough and risk of addiction. There is also an in- creased risk of developing chronic psychosis disor- ders, including schizo- phrenia, she said. Just as there is no safe level of second-hand to- bacco smoke exposure, ei- ther indoors or outdoors, there are similar concerns around cannabis smoke. The second-hand smoke produced when smoking cannabis is considered as harmful to a nonsmoker as CANNABIS AND YOU SEEKING MEDICAL ACCESS TO CANNABIS? 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