Pubdate: Thu, 26 Sep 2013
Source: Concord Monitor (NH)
Copyright: 2013 Monitor Publishing Company
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/WbpFSdHB
Website: http://www.concordmonitor.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/767
Author: Frank Sylvia

THIRTY YEARS LATER . . .

I was quite interested in the Monitor's editorial on drugs and 
particularly with respect to marijuana ("The right drug war, and the 
wrong one," Sept. 4). It took me back to the 1980s when a 
representative took a look at how so many young college students were 
getting their lives harmed or ruined by being convicted of a felony 
for possessing just one joint. He was sorry to see them suffer this 
fate for a simple mistake of experimenting with a drug that wasn't 
too much more harmful than alcohol, so he introduced a bill to 
decriminalize less than an ounce of marijuana and make it a misdemeanor.

How he was vilified for even proposing such a thing  especially by 
William Loeb, who was then publisher of New Hampshire's largest 
newspaper. Loeb referred to him as a "snake" who was trying to ruin 
the whole state and make it a haven for drug addicts. Of course, with 
his help the bill was defeated. Now I see that even U.S. Attorney 
General Eric Holder doesn't think it was such a bad idea.

I wonder how many young people's lives would have been changed for 
the better if this had happened 30 years ago.

FRANK SYLVIA

Concord
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