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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom