Pubdate: Tue, 07 Oct 2014
Source: Alaska Dispatch News (AK)
Copyright: 2014 Alaska Dispatch Publishing
Contact:  http://www.adn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/18
Author: Ryan W. Lasher

HERE'S WHAT'S 'WILDLY IRRESPONSIBLE'

Really? The spokesman for the vote Yes on Ballot Measure 2 campaign
said that it would be "wildly irresponsible" to make an estimate on
how much money commercializing marijuana would bring into Alaska.
(ADN, Sept. 11)

Here's what is "wildly irresponsible." It is wildly irresponsible to
ask Alaskans to vote for something when you refuse to provide
critically important information about it. We already know that it
will cost our state government up to $7 million to legalize marijuana,
and an additional $6 million to local governments for increased costs
to police. That's just the start of the costs. Ka-ching. If you look
at what is going on in Colorado you see more emergency room visits,
more homelessness, more problems with smoking marijuana in schools and
more suspensions, and the list goes on.

The vote Yes folks are asking us to buy a pig in a poke. Maybe all of
those outside funders like the Marijuana Policy Project think Alaskans
are too stupid to ask critically important questions like "How much?"
I'm not, and I don't think other Alaskans are either.

- - Ryan W. Lasher

Anchorage 
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MAP posted-by: Richard