Pubdate: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 Source: Capital Times, The (WI) Copyright: 2009 The Capital Times Contact: http://host.madison.com/ct/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/73 Author: Bruce Rideout UNINTENDED RESULTS OF FOOLISH DRUG WAR Regarding a Nov. 1 article, Dave Reshan of McFarland puts an all-too-familiar face to unintended consequences. I certainly don't suggest that punching holes in a child's basketball is a good first response to an irritating situation. And I don't suggest that Reshan's irritation was without cause. Yet he admitting his mistake and offered to replace the basketball. Bothered that Reshan would not answer the door, Donald Boettcher, the girl's father, called the police. Reshan chose a medicine supported by thousands of years of validation. Cannabis eased his back and jaw pain without addictive and sometimes harsh side effects of pharmaceutical drugs. He said he did not want to fuel the drug cartels, so he grew five cannabis plants to produce his own medicine. There was no evidence that he sold it. Police involvement produced a predictable outcome. Reshan was evicted from his trailer park, where he had lived 13 years without incident, and forced to plea to a lesser of multiple unproven charges resulting in probation. All of this at taxpayer expense without evidence that a real crime had been committed. But the drug war worked! Reshan is no longer allowed to use his medicine, and the Boettchers highlight the unintended consequences of using police to settle minor disagreements. And the madness continues. Bruce Rideout, Madison - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake