Pubdate: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 Source: Union, The (Grass Valley, CA) Copyright: 2009 The Union Contact: http://apps.theunion.com/utils/forms/lettertoeditor/ Website: http://www.theunion.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/957 Author: Paul W. Higginbotham LEGALIZING MARIJUANA There are some in our community who want to legalize pot, believing that legalization would remove the profit incentive and deflate a thriving black market that operates under the euphemism "medical marijuana." There are others in our community who oppose legalization, believing legalization to be the first step on a slippery slope to opium dens reminiscent of China in the mid-19th century. I'd like to offer a compromise. Legalize pot. Anyone can buy it at the local pharmacy. All you have to do to buy pot is to sign a release to any right of privacy and agree to drug counseling a couple of times a year. The list of pot buyers will be posted on a Web site and the site's contents will be available to anyone, including automobile insurance companies. As part of the same enacting legislation, insurance companies will be allowed to charge discriminatory rates based upon a person's drug purchases without fear of legal recourse. That's it — legalize away! Paul W. Higginbotham Penn Valley - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr