Pubdate: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 Source: Northwest Herald (IL) Contact: 2010 Margaret Casserly Website: http://www.nwherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2762 Author: Margaret Casserly LEGALIZE MARIJUANA To the Editor: I am tired of the negativity in current headlines concerning marijuana. I advocate organizing the McHenry County Cannabis Co-operative. Hypocritical marijuana-prohibition laws discourage networking and prevent establishment of legal businesses. Cannabis proponents are therefore isolated and oppressed Americans. But our interests could bring us together: helping individuals and the community to thrive. Legalization would eliminate the enormous burden of controlling importation and conversely would produce tax revenue. Legalization would get rid of marijuana's gateway status; taking it out of the hands of the underworld and making it as legal as alcohol, which makes sense because pot is far less dangerous than beer. A cannabis co-op could be open to adults living in the county. Standing committees might include regulatory, financial, agricultural units 1 and 2, membership/sweat-equity, and newsletter/IT. The first agricultural unit could profitably farm non-psychotropic hemp. Hemp's products range from paper and biomass to delicious, nutritional baked goods. The second agricultural unit could produce psychotropic strains of marijuana graded for medicinal or recreational purposes. Excess psychotropic marijuana would be sold and the tax income could contribute to state economics. Visualize completely legal marijuana, Illinois. Margaret Casserly Woodstock - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake