Pubdate: Thu, 31 Mar 2005
Source: Anchorage Press (AK)
Copyright: 2005 Anchorage Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.anchoragepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3078
Author: Paul Davis
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05.n517.a07.html

ON ITS FACE, A FALLACY

Gov. Murkowski's anti-marijuana bills fly in the face of the
constitution, the facts, and of common sense.

The courts have held that our constitutionally guaranteed right to
privacy means we can lawfully own small amounts of marijuana. SB74 and
HB96 are an attempt to overturn that ruling.

Anti-marijuana zealots argue that marijuana is a "gateway drug,"
meaning that it somehow leads users to other drugs as well. However,
no evidence supports this assertion, and it is on its face a fallacy,
asserting causation in place of correlation. To follow that same
logic, milk is the ultimate "gateway drug" because almost all drug
users started out drinking milk.

They also argue that modern marijuana is more potent than before, and
that this somehow makes it more needful of prohibition - again without
any supporting data or facts.

Finally, these bills will flood our prisons with pot smokers,
requiring the early release of dangerous, violent criminals back into
our neighborhoods.

Tell your legislator to oppose these bills!

Paul Davis

Anchorage
- ---
MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin