Pubdate: Thu, 19 Nov 2015 Source: Chico News & Review, The (CA) Copyright: 2015 Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact: https://www.newsreview.com/chico/contactLetter2editor Website: http://www.newsreview.com/chico/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/559 Author: Nathan Esplanade A STINKY PROPOSITION Re "Preparing for pot legalization" (Editorial, Nov. 12): Last week the CN&R once again stunk up its pages with pro-pot propaganda. That is, with arguments that since people are going to smoke recreational marijuana whether it's legal or not, it might as well be legal so it's "safe" and so government can tax it. This author and the CN&R will have blood on their hands if recreational marijuana's legalized in California. That is, for minimizing the seriousness of the drug's effect on human health, the environment and public safety. Alcohol already destroys marriages, families and careers. It also causes 10,076 deaths and $59 billion in property damage and medical costs annually-just from motor vehicle crashes alone. In so doing it swells everyone's insurance premiums and causes many to incur astronomical legal fees. Do we really want to throw marijuana into this mix? Like alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, marijuana's harmful and isn't necessary for either pleasure or pain relief. Rather, these substances are traps for those with more money than awareness, compassion and self-respect. Nathan Esplanade Tehama County - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom