Pubdate: Sat, 31 May 2008
Source: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)
Copyright: 2008 The Daily Herald Company
Contact:  http://www.dailyherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/107
Author: Janet Chandik

WE SHOULD KEEP MARIJUANA ILLEGAL

I would like to respond to D. Skipworth's letter last  Monday. She
stated the war on drugs is hypocritical and  a lost cause and
potential tax dollars go uncollected  because of ignorant politicians
and police. The  benefits of hemp are mentioned, and she states
cannabis  is good for the planet. We learn Chris Columbus may  have
come to America with sails made from hemp. While  that may or may not
be true, I think they used to pull  teeth without Novocain, too.

In a perfect world we would all do the right thing and  use common
sense. Too bad for us, we all have a  different idea of common sense.
I'll just use one word  as an extreme example: pedophiles. Cannabis
may or may  not be good for the planet, but for the average person  it
is not. It is a proven fact cannabis, or marijuana,  is a gateway
drug. The war on drugs is a war that I  gladly take on. Why would our
society want to legally  unleash another mind altering substance when
we as a  society clearly cannot handle the one we have: alcohol.  I am
speaking of those individuals who drink to excess  and then put others
at risk. How about the misuse and  abuse of prescription medication?
Even over-the-counter  meds?

So, hemp is used for food and medicine in other (more  sophisticated -
implied) parts of the world? That's  great. We in America have a lot
of freedoms and choices  that those in other parts of the world do not
have, and  I readily give them their use of hemp and gladly keep  our
public servants, who I dare not as a whole call  ignorant.

Janet Chandik

Batavia
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