The Explorers Friendship and Chat group hosted their monthly meeting with two speakers to discuss the pros and cons of cannabis for medical use.
The group was started to give older people the opportunity to build friendships and host a variety of talks to engage them. During the past three years, there have been about 45 speakers and many interesting outings, all of which had been greatly enjoyed by members.
Shelley Addis, the coordinator of the group, said that many people do not have a good understanding of the plant and they wanted to host two speakers with different viewpoints. Johan Claassen from Doctors for Life and Sharon Price, a producer of various products containing cannabis for medicinal use spoke at the meeting.
Price said she has developed a range of products with cannabis oil with doctors and oncologists. She said that the plant has fantastic anti-inflammatory and medical benefits, however, the oil does not give the user a high.
Price warned that because it has gained some popularity, many people would attempt to sell the oil without making it correctly.
Claassen argued that if cannabis is proven to be an effective and safe ingredient for medicine then they are not opposed to that, as long as it is produced in a proper setting. Speaking about the psychoactive effects of non-medical marijuana, he added that it is an addictive drug and can cause psychosis among some users.
While the two parties both agreed that there are potential medical benefits to the plant, Price advocated for the legalisation of the plant while Claasen argued that if there are medical benefits the specific molecules can be used to produce medicines without legalising a potentially harmful drug.
Details: Shelley Addis 083 409 7927.
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https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/events/event/explorers-club-host-lesson-healthy-living/
