Pubdate: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 Source: Crimson White, The (Edu, Univ of Alabama) Copyright: 2003 The Crimson White. Contact: http://www.cw.ua.edu/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2451 Author: Jeremiah Gilbreath Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration) WAR ON POT COUNTERPRODUCTIVE My Turn Two weeks ago, another forward-thinking state (Maryland), followed the suit of several other forward-thinking states and passed a bill authorizing marijuana to be used for medical purposes. This is a great victory for the sick people of this country who are still being persecuted under the nation's outdated and ineffective drug laws. I think we all know that the only thing keeping the "war on drugs" going are the politicians who like to scare people into re-electing them. It is sad that patients had to become a casualty of this war, right along with the youngsters who are given a scarlet letter for harmless experimentation that is generally outgrown. What I want to know is, when will Alabama catch up and realize that marijuana is a useful medicine (hmmm, probably not as harmful as the LEGAL drug Oxycontin) and is even relatively harmless compared to our favorite legal drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco. Very few people take a drag and commence beating up everyone in sight, or run their car off a bridge for that matter. For those of you in the know, I suppose I'm preaching to the choir. For those who have never partaken, it's not exactly the scourge of society. I can't believe Alabama's prison overcrowding has reached such a sad state of affairs that they will start releasing violent criminals faster. This problem is caused by the huge influx of harmless marijuana possession crimes. As we speak, unsolved rape "cold cases" sit in a file drawer somewhere, but Shelby County wants $360,000 because marijuana possession arrests were up 10 percent from last year. What's wrong with this picture: sacrificing precious tax dollars to burn plants while victims of violent crimes cry for justice. My point is, I suppose, that the people of our great state are grossly misinformed by the policy makers about the harmfulness of marijuana, especially when used in a medical context. Please take action and contact your governmental representatives about this issue. - Jeremiah Gilbreath is a resident of Glencoe.