It seems to me Dr. Ted Beam, senior pastor, should pay a little more attention to the actual wording of scripture. The verses that are being referred to in his letter, "Medical Against legalized Marijuana, Sun. Sept. 3, 2006," are Gen: 1 verses 29-31. It states "GREEN, SEED bearing HERBS," depending on what version of the Bible you are reading. I didn't know poison ivy and many other poisonous plants were seed bearing "herbs." I don't know of an herb that is greener or produces more seeds than the cannabis hemp plant (also known as marijuana). I am surprised that Beam condemns God-created mind-altering substances that he doesn't understand, and condones man created synthetics. Like it or not, God created pot. [continues 329 words]
In 1982, my grandfather was diagnosed with throat cancer. In less than a year, he weighed less than 100 pounds from being well over 190 and fit. He couldn't keep anything in his stomach. Not food, not his medicines. My grandmother was of Native American ancestry and knew that a person needed to eat to heal. Finally a doctor told her to try marijuana. I can still hear the desperation in my grandmother's voice the day she called me looking for some marijuana. I was 25 and quite shocked. After the shock wore off and she had explained the reason, I understood. The next phone call from my grandmother is just as memorable. This time it was the excitement in her voice that I remember. She said, "Get some more! Grandpa has eaten five times and not thrown up once!" -- her exact words. Thank you for printing this story. It brought back some very special memories. Meril Draper Brinnon, Wash. [end]
I understand Alaskan citizens approved a measure to let adults consume marijuana in the privacy of their own homes. I also understand that the current government in Alaska disapproves and is trying to get marijuana prohibited by state law. What I don't understand is why the government, for the people and by the people, is going against what the people want - maybe not all, but the majority. The prohibition of marijuana is nothing but a waste of tax dollars and police resources. Prohibition never worked for alcohol and it's not working for marijuana. Whenever I hear someone say, "How did my kid get drugs?" I tell them, "As long as there is a black market with no age limit, our kids will have easy access to marijuana and any other illegal substances." [continues 105 words]
Dear Editor, I just read a letter from your paper where the writer complains about pot smokers in a park affected his human rights [Pot use offensive, April 30 Letters to the Editor, Langley Advance News]. Where did those two ladies smoking pot hurt the writer of that letter? The problems from marijuana stem from two things. One is the prohibition of marijuana, and because of that, the second is the black market. The black market has no age limit. Drug dealers and crooked cops just love prohibition. Marijuana doesn't break up families, but marijuana laws do, and we can change that. Meril Draper Brinnon [end]
Re "Weeding out city's initiative," you couldn't be more wrong and right in the same editorial if you had tried. All we have to do is look at some countries that already have a so-called "no look" policy and see that it allows law enforcement to concentrate on more serious, violent and harmful crimes. Although medical marijuana was legalized in this state several years ago, patients still are being persecuted by our justice system. Where I agree 100 percent with you is where you said, " ... the national war on drugs is misconceived, cold-hearted and, ultimately, unworkable." It is this kind of initiative that will raise the level of education about cannabis, which many of us hope and pray will bring an end to this "misconceived, cold-hearted and, ultimately, unworkable drug war." Meril Draper, Brinnon [end]
As I sit here and listen to the news, I hear way too many stories about violent offenders who are kidnapping, shooting, molesting and mugging. You can read or hear any one of these stories anytime you pick up a newspaper or turn on the news. I can't help but wonder if our government wasn't so intent on locking up marijuana offenders, might we have more law enforcement officers preventing these more violent criminals from attacking anyone else? Another story I am tired of reading and hearing about is all the services - -- including libraries, youth centers, sports programs, fish hatcheries, parks -- closing because of all the budget cuts. Then our government, in its infinite wisdom, adds $2 billion more to our failing drug war. [continues 125 words]
I for one am tired of the government saying what is or is not the right message sent to my children. My wife and I will decide what is and is not the right message sent to our children. I have read where John Walters, the U.S. drug czar, states that the medical marijuana movement is just a front to legalize pot. I hope and pray that Walters never finds out the many medical uses of marijuana the way I did. [continues 127 words]
I just read the letter by Brian Martinka (NOW, September 5-11). It's clear Martinka has never had a loved one who benefited from marijuana. In 1983, my grandfather developed throat cancer. My grandmother would allow him one hand-rolled cigarette each day. When she found out that marijuana might help his appetite, we would put the "medicine" in the cigarette and watch before our very eyes the miracle of marijuana. He immediately stopped throwing up and was able to keep his food and medicine in his stomach, where it belonged. I pray that Martinka never has to find out about the medical uses of marijuana the way I did. Meril Draper Brinnon, Washington [end]
Thank you for printing the article regarding the travesty that happened in Tulia, Texas ("Texas town has a one-man travesty of law enforcement," Aug. 30). This kind of mentality has to stop. I don't believe in the abuse of any drugs, legal or illegal. But the abuse of Americans' civil rights is a far worse crime. Just the fact that some of these people received up to 90 years is absurd. I for one am not happy about paying an average of $30,000 a year of my tax dollars for someone convicted of drug abuse and/or use. There are just way too many of them, especially when violent criminals get out on parole just to commit another violent crime. Last year, 800,000 were arrested nationwide just for marijuana. A lot of them were legal state medical patients. This is a great waste of our tax dollars and law enforcement. Meril Draper, Brinnon [end]
A few years ago, state voters approved medical marijuana. Now the federal government has a program in Southwest Washington that will target sick people for growing their medicine. What is the threat of sick and dying people? I for one do not feel threatened by them. This is a great waste of our tax dollars and law enforcement. We need to better use law enforcement resources for violent criminals, not sick and dying medical marijuana patients. Meril Draper, Brinnon [end]
Help stop the waste of millions of tax dollars in `drug war' Please help put a stop to the madness that some call the "war on drugs." You, being in the forefront of the media, know that it is failing. Please help put a stop to the waste of millions of dollars we taxpayers pay. Please help put a stop to the prosecution of sick people. What harm is the government saving us from when a person, sick or not, smokes cannabis? The only element that is dangerous related to cannabis is the black market that is brought on by the "war on drugs." Cannabis users are not violent. No one to date has ever died from cannabis. Yet, thousands die every year from alchohol and tobacco. Meril Draper, Brinnon [end]
