Pubdate: Thu, 05 Feb 2015
Source: Pine River Times (CO)
Copyright: 2015 Pine River Times
Contact:  http://www.pinerivertimes.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5363
Author: Suzanne Arms

MARIJUANA COULD PROVIDE TAX REVENUE

I, like Town Manger Chris LaMay and the Bayfield Town Board, am
concerned about the town's need to raise money, the public's regularly
turning down a sales tax increase, and the seemingly limited options
available for increasing town revenue.

I understand that, at Tuesday's public forum and town board meeting,
the issue of recreational marijuana was discussed.

I would like to know how many people on the board or planning
commission voted against allowing a marijuana store in town, to help
bring tax revenue in. AND I'd like to know whether the board will
allow the subject to be brought up again - i.e. whether it's the final
decision of this current board and/or planning commission or not.

I do not use recreational marijuana; just as I do not smoke and seldom
even have a half glass of wine. So I'm not speaking as an advocate of
marijuana or any drugs.

What concerns me is:

1. More people get into traffic accidents, hurt others or die - in
fact, many times over - from alcohol than from smoking marijuana, even
in large amounts.

2. Cigarette smoking has been proven over and over again to be far
more dangerous to the smoker's health AND also to the health of those,
including children, who get second-hand smoke, and it results in more
deaths (including in post-menopausal women who do not smoke but were
exposed at length to second-hand smoke) than is marijuana use, even
regular marijuana use.

3. Our town needs more money to function effectively for all of its
citizens. The taxes that the Town of Bayfield would receive in the
form of taxes if the town permitted marijuana to be sold here would be
a good amount and put to good use.

SO, I'm forced to ask this question, and I'd like Bayfield citizens
who are rigidly opposed to the legal sale of marijuana in our town:

Is the negativity toward recreational marijuana, being legally sold in
our town, which would only be sold to those over age 21, based on
anything other than some people's moral or religious beliefs? If so,
I'd sure like to hear those arguments. Continued prejudice against
recreational use of marijuana use by adults is certainly is not based
on legitimate scientific research. And a number of benefits of
marijuana use to relieve symptoms or pain from a variety of conditions
that western medicine is not able to sufficiently help, is also well
researched. In fact, more medical uses for marijuana are being found
each year in reputable scientific studies done at medical schools.

Therefore, I would like this letter to be sent to the entire town
board and planning commission along with my request that the issue of
marijuana being sold in town be revisited after there is a public
educational meeting on the subject of marijuana.

And I'd like to request that all of us adults who live in Bayfield
give some serious thought to the issue of recreational use of
marijuana here in Bayfield, with our town being able to get
much-needed taxes from it being sold here.

Suzanne Arms

Bayfield
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