Pubdate: Mon, 22 Sep 2003
Source: Daily Independent, The (KY)
Copyright: 2003 The Daily Independent, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.dailyindependent.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1573
Author:  J.D. Brown

MOST POT USERS ARE NOT THIEVES

This is in response to the Sept. 14 letters from John Goldie of
Flatwoods, which proclaimed marijuana leads
to harder drugs.

The only knowledgeable reasoning in this statement is
that cannabis and harder drugs aresold on the same market:
The black market.

A drug dealer will sell harder drugs and cannabis together wherever he
can make loads of money because cannabis, along with cocaine and
other hard drugs, are illicit.

To state that cannabis has some type of mystical power over
its users that would transform them into heroine fiends or
lead to an addiction to crack is bunk. It's like saying tobacco
use leads to alcoholism.

As for pot users stealing so they can afford their "fix" this argument
also has many faults. Everyone I know who smokes pot holds a
steady job, is a productive citizen and has
incredibly high moral standards.

Pot is expensive because it is illegal.

A good solution would be to decriminalize cannabis and allow adults to
grow a few plants for their own personal usage.

People are going to smoke it anyway, so why waste so
much tax money, police effort and prison space on non-violent
offenders when there are murderers on the loose?

Letting adults grow their own would stop black market tainting of
cannabis and deal a major blow to organized crime.

It is absurd that in our free society people are caged for using a plant
that does not harm the person or property of another.

Remember, it was once illegal for African Americans to dine in the
same restaurants as white people.

Does that mean the law was in the right?

No. In America, when it comes to civil liberties, the case is never closed
as long as consensual activities remain crimes.

J.D. Brown,

Flatwoods

Reference: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1389/a04.html?1672
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MAP posted-by: Derek