Pubdate: Sun, 12 Jan 2014
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Copyright: 2014 The Baltimore Sun Company
Contact:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37
Author: Christopher Snyder

O'MALLEY WRONG ABOUT MARIJUANA

Gov. Martin O'Malley confused drug use with drug addiction when he 
was confronted recently with the issue of marijuana legalization 
("O'Malley opposed to legalizing pot, Jan. 8). In opposing 
legislation, he said he's "seen what drug addiction has done to the 
people of our state, to the people of our city." We know he has 
federal political ambitions and his open-ended answer proves that. 
One can use a drug and not be addicted to it.

Mr. O'Malley doesn't seem to realize that millions of Americans use 
marijuana already. What he really doesn't understand is that 
marijuana's illegality has contributed more harmful effects to 
society than marijuana's legalization ever could. Legalizing 
marijuana will stop the injustice of ruining our citizens' lives for 
simple possession of marijuana, a substance substantially safer than alcohol.

If Mr. O'Malley really cared about the citizens of Baltimore and the 
state of Maryland, he would be in favor of marijuana legalization 
and/or decriminalization like Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller 
and Del. Heather Mizeur. He would also come out vociferously for the 
decriminalization of marijuana. Locking people up, denying them jobs, 
giving them criminal records for the use of marijuana is past the 
point of absurd. It's high time we stop the madness of the past 
century and allow our justice system to focus on greater problems.

Christopher Snyder, Abingdon
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom