Pubdate: Sat, 21 Jun 2014
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2014 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Note: Prints only very short LTEs.
Author: Margery Eagan
Page: 4

MY SUGGESTION: LIGHT UP AND LIGHTEN UP, FRANCIS

I love Pope Francis. But on the question of whether we should 
legalize pot, he's one toke over the line.

Did he miss Genesis? God said no apples. But he also said, "Behold, I 
have given you every herb bearing seed ... to you it shall be for meat."

And what about Ezekiel 34:29: "And I will raise up for them a plant 
of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land."

Actually, they would be more consumed with hunger in the land once 
the munchies take hold. But you take my point.

As stoner jokesters say, if everybody in the world smoked a joint at 
the same time, there would be world peace for at least two hours, 
followed by a global shortage of Doritos and a run on Taco Bell.

That would be good for the economy, and good for world peace.

"Peace be with you" are words we say over and over again at Sunday 
Mass. "My peace I give you." Peace this, peace that. The pope should 
be for anything that would help produce peace and calm, and what Carl 
Sagan once called "the serenity and insight, sensitivity and 
fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world."

Of course, Sagan, the late astronomer and, astrophysicist, one of the 
great geniuses of the 20th century, was also a famous pothead, and he 
was talking about marijuana when he uttered those eloquent words.

I guess that settles one issue: Not all dopers are dopes.

I think we can assume that Pope Francis made his prohibition 
pronouncement without any hands-on experience. Surely nobody believes 
he ever fired up a big ol' bong back in the parish in Argentina, or 
urged the nuns to "roll another one, just like the other one."

He's coming more from a "reefer madness" perspective than a realworld 
view. Yet most of us in the real world know that it's easier now for 
kids to get weed than alcohol; that alcohol causes more addiction and 
crime; that drivers high on liquor are menaces likely to speed 
through the stop sign while drivers high on weed are likely to poke 
along and stop at that sign - and then actually wait for it to turn 
green. And wait and wait.

Pope Francis is perfectly swell on so many other fronts, but perhaps 
he should do a little experimentation, expand his horizons, download 
a little Bob Marley on his iPod and see where it leads.

Or better yet, since he's the pope, do some "freakin' " and some 
"funkin' " to Mystic Roots' "Sweet Sensimilla":

"Ashes to ashes dust to dust, pack another bowl with the sticky green 
stuff ..."

I close my eyes. I can see it. I think it just might change his mind.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom