Pubdate: Sat, 13 Dec 2008
Source: Daily News Tribune (Waltham, MA)
Copyright: 2008 GateHouse Media, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.dailynewstribune.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3562
Author: Bill  King
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08.n1114.a11.html

MORE SMOKE WITH NEW POT LAW

Who is Stan White from Dillon, Col., to send in a letter "DARE should change
it's tune" (letter, Dec. 12) talking about our state laws re: marijauna. If
you google "Stan White Dillon, CO" you'll find he's an activist writing
letters to  many newspapers in support of using marijauna. If I recall
correctly, his was not the first out-of-state letter on this issue in a
local newspaper. However, most of the folks I know who voted to
de-criminalize marijauna did it because a) they bought the message that
marijuana arrests were unnecessarily clogging our courts, and b) because
they didn't think a kid's life should be ruined with a felony for smoking a
joint. But look at what's happened since - outside interests suddenly taking
a shining to Mass. schools saying they don't know what to do (if smoking in
the boys room gets you in trouble, why wouldn't  smoking a marijuana
cigarette?).

If this simple law of decriminalization results in us attracting
pot-heads the world over to Massachusetts (please Amsterdam - keep
them all over there) and leaves our schools unsure on whether it is
right or wrong, then let me be the first to say I support
RE-criminalizing pot. I just hope our legislature can  move quickly to
put some reasoned restrictions within the framework of this law  so
that points a) and b) above are met, without the state attracting the
write-ins and interest of pot-heads across around the  nation.

Bill  King
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin