Pubdate: Sat, 13 Feb 2016
Source: Red Bluff Daily News (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Red Bluff Daily News
Contact:  http://redbluffdailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1079
Author: Nathan Esplanade

POT PROPAGANDA STILL STINKS

Editor:

Last week a local paper published a letter from Stan White - an
alleged Dillon, Colorado man - defending marijuana legalization. From
a Google search revealing he's published literally thousands of
letters in newspapers nationwide defending marijuana use, White
appears to be a paid lobbyist for the industry.

In his letter, White argued legalizing marijuana wouldn't increase
demand for police, fire, legal, judicial, penal, healthcare and social
services as I contended. He argued it hasn't had this effect in
Colorado, where recreational marijuana's been legal since 2013. He
went on to indicate Colorado's actually prospered from marijuana
legalization. He didn't reveal his source of information.

My own findings indicate he's not being truthful.

According to sources including Newsweek and the federal government, in
the first year marijuana retailers began operating legally in
Colorado, marijuana-related traffic deaths surged 32 percent. Further,
almost 20% of all traffic deaths were marijuana-related - compared to
just 10% five years earlier. Marijuana-related emergency-room visits
increased 29%, related hospitalizations increased 38% and related
calls to poison-control centers jumped 72%.

Still illegal federally, Colorado's legalizing marijuana's also surely
unraveling careers, marriages and families.

- - Nathan Esplanade, Rancho Tehama
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MAP posted-by: Matt