Pubdate: Fri, 7 Jan 2011
Source: State Journal-Register (IL)
Copyright: 2011 The State Journal-Register
Contact: http://service.sj-r.com/forms/letters.asp
Website: http://www.sj-r.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/425
Author: Jeff Skeeters

TURN ATTENTION TO A DIFFERENT ISSUE

I read the article Tuesday on anti-smoking advocates wanting to raise
the price of cigarettes another dollar.

I understand wanting people to stop smoking, but what happens when it
works? The millions made off smokers will be gone and lost forever,
then we'll be in even worse financial debt. Let adults do as they
wish. It's not hurting you since the smoking ban.

I have an idea. Instead of sucking cigarette smokers dry, why don't we
pass SB 1381 and help out patients who could use marijuana as a
medicine and stand to make a few million or billion dollars at the
same time?

Here are some facts about marijuana that I have obtained through life
and not looking at some piece of paper and claiming it's a fact.
Marijuana is not addictive and it's not a gateway drug.

In the end, this is one of those things that citizens should have a
choice. At the very least, a doctor of a terminally ill patient should
be able to say this is safer than taking another drug since marijuana
is a natural plant (flower, to be exact). Many believe it was put here
by God for this reason and in the end we are only judged by one.

Jeff Skeeters

Springfield 
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