Dear Editor: Another reason to allow sick citizens to use cannabis (marijuana / kaneh bosm) that doesn't get mentioned (letter: Mumbo Jumbo Blocking Medical Marijuana in Iowa, Feb. 29, 2016 Pilot-Tribune) is because it is Biblically correct since God indicates He created all the seed bearing plants saying they are all good on literally the very first page. Many people know of cannabis as the tree of life and the very last page says the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations. Whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? A sane or moral argument to cage sick citizens for using cannabis doesn't exist. Stan White Dillon, Colo [end]
Over the last two years I have learned a whole lot more than I ever expected or wanted to know about medical cannabis. I became involved in advocacy for this issue when I learned about the mothers of kids with epilepsy who were down at the statehouse every day talking to our representatives on behalf of their sick babies and children many of whom have up to 100 seizures a day. That was in 2014. The result of their blood, sweat and tears that year was a puny bill signed into totally ineffective and worthless law by Gov. Terry Branstad. [continues 499 words]
The article [on legalization of marijuana] presented is based on misperceptions of what's happening in Europe. In the Netherlands for example, the use of marijuana among youth is about half of what it is in the United States. The notion that when drug laws are made a "medical problem" and not a "criminal problem" cause enormous addictions is just not the case. This is why throughout Europe they are taking the problem out of the criminal element and dealing with it as a social problem. When it comes to the economic cost of how to deal with the problem, consider this: The United States spends $50 Billion on the war on drugs. No other country in the world comes close to what we spend on enforcement. If we were to spend that money on prevention and treatment our drug problem would diminish. [continues 83 words]
First of all I would like to say that whoever reported this story should find more informed and less ignorant people. Marijuana is NOT physically addictive. I do not doubt that there are many people that have a psychological addiction to the drug, but much like alcohol it can be dealt with and since it's not as addictive as alcohol can be it would most likely be somewhat easier. Secondly, the comment about marijuana being a drug and ignoring the difference between hard and soft drugs is just ignorant. There is a huge difference between the two, which would be too long to explain. Marijuana is a soft drug that is not addictive so much like caffeine it can be dealt with on a personal basis and if treated responsibly does not pose a serious threat to society. Propaganda comments like these are why I am so angry with America's obvious propaganda "war on drugs" making marijuana illegal, just as in the past with alcohol, has shown that nothing can be done about and legalizing it just costs the taxpayers money and will never succeed. Jayson Matchen, Via Internet [end]
Storm Lake Public Safety Director Mark Prosser is either sadly misinformed or he is intentionally misleading the public about the effects of decriminalization of marijuana in Europe. Contrary to his claims, government-funded studies show that European countries that have decriminalized marijuana have consistently lower rates of both marijuana use and hard drug use than the U.S.. In the Netherlands, for example, sale and possession of small amounts of marijuana have been officially tolerated since the 1970s. According to the most recent figures, 20 percent of Dutch tenth graders have tried marijuana, compared to 37.8% in the U.S.. And separating marijuana from the hard drug trade has cut heroin use dramatically: In the Netherlands, 0.3 percent of the population has ever used heroin. In the U.S. it's 1.4 percent. As a society, we urgently need an honest, searching examination of our anti-drug policies. But it's hard to have an honest discussion when one side refuses to face the facts and consistently puts out disinformation. Bruce Mirken, Marijuana Policy Project, Washington D.C. [end]
It's amazing that officials in Iowa are so far behind the times that they are ignorant of the benefits of medical marijuana. Maybe a few of them or their loved ones will have to come down with serious carcinomas that require relief from the chemotherapy to tell the truth. Aside from the medical uses there is another very good reason to legalize marijuana - all of the reasons given for pot prohibition by Mary Sloan and the rest of Iowa's drug crusaders are complete lies. That's why... Sloan dares suggest cannabis is addictive. [continues 164 words]
Following ballot initiatives in some parts of the country this fall, local authorities and experts agree that any form of legalization or decriminalization of narcotics is a bad idea. Mary Sloan, prevention supervisor for Northwest Iowa Drug and Alcohol Treatment Unit, had one word to describe the proposals - wrong. "It normalizes use - it gives society a message that if it's legal then it's normal for people to use," she said. "And we do know that marijuana is addictive. People talk about hard drugs and soft drugs - it is a drug. [continues 774 words]
