Pubdate: Tue, 05 Jun 2012
Source: Rockford Register Star (IL)
Copyright: 2012 GateHouse Media, Inc.
Contact: http://www.rrstar.com/contact
Website: http://www.rrstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/370
Author: Kirk Muse
REGULATE, TAX MARIJUANA

Thanks for publishing Angela Fickert's outstanding letter: "Fixing
marijuana laws" (June 4).

I'd like to add that I've been buying beer and wine for more than 40
years. Yet, I've never been offered a free sample of whiskey, gin,
vodka or any other hard liquor. However, when I was a marijuana user I
was frequently offered free samples of much more dangerous drugs such
as cocaine and meth by my marijuana suppliers.

If we regulate, control and tax the sale and production of marijuana
and sell it in licensed business establishments like we do with
tobacco products, we will close the gateway from marijuana to hard
drugs.

Speaking of taxes, it seems to me that non-marijuana users would be
very much in favor of taxing a product that they don't use. Around
these parts, taxing someone else's vice is very popular.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.
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