Pubdate: Fri, 18 Dec 1998
Source: The Columbian (WA)
Copyright: 1998 The Columbian
Contact:  P.O. Box 180, Vancouver, WA 98666
Website: http://www.columbian.com/
Forum: http://www.webforums.com/forums/trace/host/msa70.html
Author: Rob Smithdeal
Note: Molly Ivins' column, which appeared in many newspapers, is at:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n1151.a01.html

OUR READERS VIEWS

MEDICAL POT NOT A PROBLEM

Was it only irony that Molly Ivins' Dec. 6 column, "Blind Justice:
America's love affair with prisons is about to bankrupt us," was placed
side by side with Sandra Bennett's local view column, "Medical pot is not
about compassion, but getting stoned?" Or was it just fortuitous that Ivins
came as a breath of fresh air after Bennett's diatribe? Bennett apparently
is not happy that there are times when, inexplicably enough, reason
prevails and voters make decisions based on the information at hand and not
knee-jerk reactions.

To suggest that millions of voters in six states were fooled into voting
for medicinal marijuana by well heeled interlopers from out of state
overlooks the obvious fact that maybe we did it because we care about the
people who qualify to use it for that purpose. I do not believe that we
will suddenly have a large segment of the population stoned out of their
gourds because we have done so. I am much more worried about some
middle-aged accountant who has a little problem with alcohol and a large
automobile.

Even if some people do use this law for nefarious purposes, I, along with
increasing numbers of Americans, am sick to death of pawning our children's
futures in the vain hope that absolutely nobody in this country will do
anything that is bad for them. It would actually probably be cheaper to
lock up Bennett and all those like her who still don't think we have enough
prisons.

Rob Smithdeal
Vancouver