Pubdate: Sun, 08 Mar 2015 Source: Burlington Free Press (VT) Copyright: 2015 Burlington Free Press Contact: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/632 Author: Jared Henderson LEGALIZING ALCOHOL - A HUGE MISTAKE How unfortunate the Vermont Legislature is considering a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, I think that's a shame this is issue is considered up for debate. What they should be doing is addressing the alcohol epidemic that is plaguing this country, not wasting our time debating whether or not a harmless plant should be legal. Marijuana is a safe harmless drug when used responsibly. If it was legalized tomorrow not much would change. A few new business would open, tourism would increase, and farmers would have a new crop to plant. So I don't really understand why we are debating this issue. It is pretty apparent legalization of marijuana would just result in more jobs and more revenue for the state. What we should be having a debate about is alcohol. Alcohol is not only physically addictive but is responsible for 88,000 deaths per year in this country. These deaths are due to health effects from drinking too much over time, such as breast cancer, liver disease and heart disease, and health effects from consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time, such as violence, alcohol poisoning and motor vehicle crashes. Addiction can tear apart families, ruin people's lives, and kill productivity. Excessive drinking cost the United States almost $224 billion in 2006 alone. In Vermont, drinking is more likely to kill young people than all illegal drugs (including marijuana) combined. It is time to address this issue. Who cares about a harmless plant being legal? Let's legalize marijuana and start having a conversation about alcohol. Encourage your legislators and senators to vote yes on recreational marijuana legislation so we can debate legislation that has a real potential to save lives. JARED HENDERSON Essex - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom