Pubdate: Sat, 05 Jun 2010
Source: Asheville Citizen-Times (NC)
Copyright: 2010 Asheville Citizen-Times
Contact: http://www.citizen-times.com/contact/letters.shtml
Website: http://www.citizen-times.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/863
Author: Steve Rasmussen

LOBBY LEGISLATORS TO APPROVE HEMP, MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Of all the big-government abuses of Americans'  constitutional 
rights, the war on marijuana perpetrates  some of the worst. "Asset 
forfeitures" such as the  Oakview Road resident suffered are, in my 
opinion,  little more than official looting, since they allow  police 
(and informants, who get a percentage) to seize  growers' homes and 
cash prior to a trial, with  practically no oversight.

No wonder law enforcement lobbyists oppose every effort  in North 
Carolina to legalize industrial hemp or  medical marijuana, despite 
the abundant evidence of  hemp's utility and environmental benefits, 
marijuana's  lifesaving medicinal qualities for many patients, and 
the millions of dollars that the state would save and  collect if 
either form of cannabis were licensed or  taxed.

WNC residents have an opportunity -- if we act  immediately -- to 
press our powerful Sen. Martin  Nesbitt  
252-0490) to allow  two medical-marijuana bills, HB 1380 and 1383, to 
move  forward in the legislative short session. Both bills  would 
allow patients access to marijuana with a signed  statement from a 
physician; growers and dispensaries  would be licensed and regulated 
by the state Department  of Health and Human Services. HB 1383 would 
allow  voters to decide the issue by referendum. For details,  see NC 
Cannabis Patients' Network, nccpn.org.

Steve Rasmussen,  Asheville
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart