Pubdate: Wed, 13 Jan 1999
Date: 01/13/1999
Source: Lynnwood Enterprise (WA)
Author: Darral Good

How can the Tacoma police justify the arrest and jailing of a blind
man who lives with AIDS along with his caregiver mother for three
cannabis plants?

What segment of society were the police "serving" by this unfeeling
yuletime bust? Does society really desire protection from the
helplessly ill? What if the stress of this bust adversly affects his
health?

I understand that the prosecutor's office has wisely decided to drop
the charges against them both. I applaud that, but what about the
family's dignity? Who will restore that?

What about the invasion of their privacy and the public airing of
their medical conditions and arrest records?

Doctors who know about cannabis as medication would probably reccomend
this herb to treat many more people but, cases like this makes them
fearful that law enforcement will soon be arresting and jailing them.

I thank the voters of Washington state for having the courage and
compassion to allow the use of this valuable herb as medicine and
remind the law enforcement community that the drug war is truly a war
on people.

When prohibition was recognized by the people as an exercise in
futility, they banded together and fought for the repeal of the
Volstead act. One of the groups that was intregal to passing of the
21st ammendment was known as the W.O.N.P.R. - "Women Of National
Prohibition Reform" and they had a large amount of members from our
state.

They were ordinary people who realized that fighting a war on "demon
rum" wasn't worth the orginized crime that it created.

During prohibtion the medical use of marijuana was
allowed.

Al Capone was once quoted in a newspaper article as saying:
"prohibition has brought nothing but trouble". But then again it
doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out!

We need good people like the WONPR today to help reform marijuana
laws.

That is why I encourage people to visit our website and compare legal
and illegal drugs: http://www.olywa.net/when

WHEN is a community of volunteer hemp activists providing verifiable
information on cannabis. We counteract disinformation and work to
change cannabis laws that harm all Americans and the
environment.

Darral Good,
Member of the Board of Directors:
Washington Hemp Education Network