Pubdate: Mon, 05 Mar 2001
Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (AR)
Copyright: 2001 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.
Contact:  121 East Capitol Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201
Website: http://www.ardemgaz.com/
Forum: http://www.ardemgaz.com/info/voices.html
Author: David Schrader
Referenced: LTE http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n229/a06.html

LOGICAL THINKING ENDORSED

In Greg Hoggatt's recent letter, he states,
"If there were significant benefits to using smoked marijuana, don't
you think the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries would be champing
at the bit to develop this proposition?"

What sort of logic is that? It's like saying that if development of an
electric car was feasible, don't you think the petroleum industry
would develop it? Or if the growing, harvesting and production of hemp
was worthwhile, wouldn't the forest, timber and cotton industry move
to begin production? Or if solar energy was viable, wouldn't electric
and gas industries move to bring solar energy to every household in
America? Why doesn't the beef industry endorse vegetarianism? Why
doesn't the textile industry endorse universal nudity? Come on. Anyone
with the capacity to reason could see that there is no profit for the
drug industry or tobacco cartel to endorse a product that can be grown
freely and easily by any (even non-reasoning) American.

This is not an endorsement for legalizing marijuana, but rather an
endorsement for clear, logical, non-passionate thinking. The issue of
legalizing marijuana long ago shifted from a medical one to a
political one, and most Americans who know anything about the subject
realize that it is a hot potato for any politician who wishes to
remain in office.

DAVID SCHRADER Hot Springs 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake