Pubdate: Sun, 17 Apr 2011 Source: Billings Gazette, The (MT) Copyright: 2011 The Billings Gazette Contact: http://billingsgazette.com/app/contact/?contact=letter Website: http://www.billingsgazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/515 Author: Ronald Dyson KEEP MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGAL Republicans are pushing our children into the arms of criminals. It is well known that marijuana is a young person's drug, and most teenagers experiment with it. By destroying the medical marijuana industry, Republicans are throwing away millions of dollars and pushing cannabis back onto the black market, a criminal enterprise that leads our children to much worse things. Today, they go to a dispensary and enjoy legal protection. If the Republicans have their way, our kids will be forced into the shadows, into the underground. If they are caught with marijuana, they go to jail and it goes on their permanent record, affecting their future. If marijuana becomes vilified again, it will look even more attractive to children who are looking to be different. Since Republicans killed medical marijuana, the kids will have to go see the local drug dealer who will try to get them to engage in criminal behavior and introduce them to hard drugs like cocaine and meth. A few bigoted individuals are responsible for this mess, but we can let them know that tyranny will not be tolerated. Ronald Dyson Bozeman - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake