Pubdate: Sat, 22 Feb 2014
Source: Tampa Bay Times (FL)
Copyright: 2014 St. Petersburg Times
Contact: http://www.sptimes.com/letters/
Website: http://www.tampabay.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/419
Note: Named the St. Petersburg Times from 1884-2011.
Author: Daniel Orsello

WEIGHING RISK, REWARD OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Re: Amendment is too Risky, Feb 18th letter

The letter writer obtains his information from the state and federal 
partners in law enforcement, and I'm sure he believes everything they 
tell him. I'm also sure he has the best interests of his community in 
mind when he says how extremely dangerous smoking marijuana is.

I think marijuana is similar to alcohol as far as driving when using 
it, and I'm sure that will be addressed just as with the DUI laws.

Youngsters don't need this, as they are developing their minds and 
bodies, and if anyone enables kids to acquire marijuana there needs 
to be penalties in place for such actions. With that said, let's not 
forget that Kennedy, Clinton, Bush, Obama - they all smoked it and it 
didn't ruin their lives, did it?

I realize the war on drugs was a cash cow for local and federal 
policing agencies as they confiscated possessions of drug dealers - 
boats, cars, trucks, whatever they could sell and/or use. And it also 
filled the prisons, which also filled the coffers of the private 
prison-operating systems. These are things that are very hard to let 
go of, but perhaps law enforcement might be better suited focusing 
more on felonious crimes. That might help make our streets safer.

Daniel Orsello, Tampa
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