Pubdate: Sun, 16 Aug 2015
Source: Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH)
Copyright: 2015 The Plain Dealer
Contact: http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/letter-to-editor/
Website: http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/342
Note: priority given to local letter writers
Author: Alan Mooney, ResponsibleOhio
Note: Guest columnist Alan K. Mooney is one of the founding members 
of ResponsibleOhio, which is working for the legalization of 
marijuana in Ohio. He is principal of Mooney Wealth Advisory, Inc. 
and the founding National Director of the Society of Registered 
Securities Professionals.
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n406/a02.html

FEAR AND MYTHS OVER MARIJUANA PLACE LIVES IN JEOPARDY

The priest who recently wrote the opinion article against the 
legalization of marijuana ("Legalizing marijuana would open the door 
to plenty of problems: the Rev. Thomas Haren, July 19 on 
cleveland.com) panders to the gospel of fears and false truths. He is 
feeding his imagination with half-truths and total reefer madness propaganda.

Further his bias of fear helps to further discriminate against people 
of color and destroy the hopes of millions of suffering people who 
could be helped. In states with medical marijuana, painkiller deaths 
drop by 25 percent

The truth: Cannabis (pot, marijuana) has been tested by millions for 
thousands of years, without one single person ever dying from it. For 
decades people have driven, been pilots, heavy equipment operators 
and even doctors while using pot.

The world didn't come to an end over God's miracle plant -- 
marijuana. Fact is, cannabis is safer than an aspirin. Fifteen 
thousand die at least every year and over 100,000 are hospitalized 
each year. Google it! With cannabis the worst side effect is munchies 
that wear off in an hour.

In states with medical marijuana, painkiller deaths drop by 25 
percent. People who use cannabis for pain and take prescription pain 
medications are not at increased risk for becoming heroin addicts, 
according to a study in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on 
Alcohol and Drugs.

The writer distorts the truth using children to illustrate his 
ignorance saying, "One other group of persons should also be 
considered -- our children," but they are not his children. He has no 
idea other than his imagination because he has no children. Fact: 
More children have been hurt by pedophile priests than pot.

The Benton family, along with hundreds of other parents, have moved 
to secure marijuana for their children. The Bentons left Liberty 
Township, Ohio for the 1,200-mile move to Colorado. They have waited 
to see if marijuana would be legalized in Ohio. They said: "We can't 
keep waiting and waiting to get relief for Addyson," who has Dravet 
Syndrome (a form of epilepsy), which is frequently fatal. Addysoon 
has hundreds of seizures each day.

Meanwhile, one scientist, Dr. Amy Brooks-Kayal, a neurologist 
specializing in epilepsy in Denver, also is the president of the 
American Epilepsy Society. She claims there is significant potential 
with cannabis-based treatments.

Withholding approval of marijuana would sentence thousands of Ohio 
children and adults to a nightmarish death and millions of people to jail.

Additionally, the Lancet Psychiatry study showed no significant 
increase in adolescent marijuana use in the first 21 states that at 
that time permitted medical marijuana.

I am a Catholic, but it is sad that a priest publicly expressed such 
a low Christ-like opinion for the suffering of victims. People are 
turned into heroin addicts by big pharmaceutical, and then pushed 
into slave-trafficked prostitution to pay for heroin. These victims are dying.

People are unjustly imprisoned for non-violent pot use. They may be 
some of the least of people in this priest's mind because it appears 
the two Great Commandments and Christ's comment about the least of 
His children were pushed aside by his fear mongering.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom