Pubdate: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 Source: Daily Iowan, The (IA Edu) Copyright: 2005 The Daily Iowan Contact: http://www.dailyiowan.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/937 Author: Stan White Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05.n1200.a05.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) CANNABIS AND GOD Tim Knab gets an arrow-splitting bull's-eye ("Marijuana helps the ill," DI, July 29), explaining how the high cost of cannabis prohibition is someone else's gain. Another price that must be grasped is freedom of religion. People have used cannabis for spiritual religious reasons throughout history. That the United States would prohibit this spiritually connected plant is a blatant failure to allow an environment conducive to honest freedom of religion. Fact is, the U.S. government perpetuates a dark, bloody, Biblically sinful battle to eliminate cannabis and the cannabis culture. This isn't just a corporation lying about a product; this is a government stating it promotes freedom of religion yet denies my historically legitimate religious culture that is acceptable to Christ God Our Father. That is many things, but that's not freedom of religion. By extension, the price of cannabis prohibition is peace. My culture believes cannabis is the tree of life as written about in Revelations 22 and is for the healing of the nations. Without the tree of life, what will heal the nations? Exterminate cannabis, the tree of life, and how will the nations heal? The cost of cannabis prohibition is higher than the buzz itself. Stan White Dillon, Colo. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin