SIMSBURY) The Simsbury Zoning Commission sought public feedback at its Nov. 19 on how to proceed with local regulations for recently state-approved medical marijuana. Though not federally approved, Connecticut became one of several states to pass such laws, which took effect Oct. 1. It approves use of marijuana for some medical uses, such as cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. "We're not trying to challenge the spirit of the law," said Commission Chairman Robert Pomeroy Jr. during the Nov. 19 meeting at town hall. "The state has approved this to make it available, so we don't want to be obstructionist." [continues 427 words]
OPIUM SEASON: A Year on the Afghan Frontier. Joel Hafvenstein. Lyons. 336 pages. $24.95. The author describes the dangers of helping ease Afghan farmers out of the opium business. This real-life story, which provides a chilling sense of deja vu, offers a perfect example of the old saying: Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. It's a lesson author Joel Hafvenstein relearns as a condition of employment in perhaps the "dirtiest job" in foreign service -- as a contractor in the Taliban/Khan-ruled poppy fields of Afghanistan. [continues 394 words]
