Pubdate: Sat, 05 Dec 2015 Source: Tennessean, The (Nashville, TN) Copyright: 2015 The Tennessean Contact: http://www.tennessean.com/SITES/OPINION/submit-editor.shtml Website: http://www.tennessean.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/447 Author: Paul Kuhn RAMSEY WRONG ON POT Re: "Haslam: Medical marijuana unlikely to pass soon," Dec. 1. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey believes "even the states that have done that (legalized marijuana) are having second thoughts." That's not the case. Take Colorado, the first state to legalize. The initiative passed three years ago with 55 percent of the vote. The latest statewide poll shows support for legal cannabis has grown to 62 percent. Coloradans see that crime is down, as are traffic fatalities and overdose deaths from prescription narcotics - a terrible problem in Tennessee. Teen use has not increased. More than 16,000 jobs have been created in the legal cannabis industry. Tens of thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens have not been dragged into the criminal justice system. And revenue from marijuana, some of which is earmarked for schools, now almost doubles the intake from alcohol. What's not to like?! This coming November, as many as six more states will legalize cannabis. So it seems the states having second thoughts are those that still embrace "reefer madness" and arrest adults who prefer marijuana to alcohol. Or worse, treat as dangerous criminals patients for whom medical cannabis is the only substance that works, a policy 75 percent of Tennesseans want to overturn. I'm proud my State Senator Steve Dickerson, R-Nashville, is leading this fight. Paul Kuhn, Nashville 37205 - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom