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: Mike Gimbel
Page: 22

SAY NO TO LEGALIZED POT

I am not in support of the legalization of marijuana. I, like others,
spent too much of my youth spaced out on pot. It was addictive, and it
severely handicapped me in respect to my career, work and
interpersonal relationships.

Did I love being stoned as a youth? Yes, and too much. That's part of
the problem. It's too good and it is addictive to many people such as
myself. We have to stop pretending that getting stoned doesn't impair
your ability to function. Try responding to any emergency stoned, and
you will screw up. Go to your next job interview high, and you will
fail. Would you like a stoned babysitter taking care of your kids? How
about a stoned surgeon operating on you? If you think I'm
overreacting, just remember the Amtrak train wreck in Chase in which
engineer Ricky Gates was high on pot and forgot to throw a switch,
causing dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. It does, it can and
it will happen again.

With alcohol, most people can have a drink to relax, but if you smoke
half of a joint of good pot, you will be spaced out. There is no
gradual effect, you go from straight to stoned. Like tobacco, alcohol
and other drugs, not everyone who smokes pot will be addicted or
behave in a dangerous manner, but many will and many of them will be
our children.

The two drugs that kill the most Americans are cigarettes and alcohol.
They are both legal and have an age requirement. Do we really want
another legal drug that is sure to increase the number of users? I
don't think so.

Mike Gimbel, Timonium
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MAP posted-by: Matt