Pubdate: Thu, 02 Feb 2012
Source: Auburn Plainsman, The (Auburn U, AL Edu)
Copyright: 2012 The Auburn Plainsman
Contact:  http://www.theplainsman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1880

MEDICAL MARIJUANA A FIRST STEP TOWARD LEGALIZATION

Rep. K. L. Brown, of Calhoun County, has filed legislation into the
Alabama House of Representatives that would make medical marijuana
legal.

As reported by the Aniston Star, Ron Crumpton, co-president and
executive director of the Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition, is
optimistic about the legislation's chances.

"I don't think it will be that much of an uphill battle," Crumpton
said. "Many of the Republicans who took over the Legislature in the
last election are younger guys -- between 30 and 45 -- who don't
associate the same stigma with marijuana that older people aE& do."

We're pleased to see Brown is giving Alabama another chance to take a
step forward on the road of personal responsibility. We've lived for
too long in a state and nation governed by people who believe they
know better than we how to run our lives.

The people we send to Montgomery and Washington are our
representatives. We are the check of their power and behavior, not the
other way around.

We're not as optimistic as Crumpton the legislation will receive the
support it deserves, but we still hope the state will make the right
decision.

Medical marijuana has been shown to alleviate some of the painful
symptoms of glaucoma, and it has been proven to help with the loss of
appetite and nausea that come with chemotherapy.

While we do support this legislation, we believe it's part of a
different approach to the full legalization of marijuana. Medical
benefits aside, most medical marijuana legislation has been passed as
a foot-in-the-door approach to full legalization. Many lawmakers and
activists are aware that changing the public's mind about marijuana
will require baby steps because of the stigma associated with it.

Americans, especially older Americans, have become rooted in their
opposition to the plant. For a long time it's been a foreign and far
away menace to their society. Marijuana was the evil that crept into
your neighborhood and stirred up trouble.

We believe its medical legalization will slowly change the minds of
this demographic. It won't happen quickly or easily, but it will
happen. They'll have family members, friends or neighbors who are
prescribed the medication, and they'll notice that they didn't drop
dead or commit robbery.

Beyond everything on the scale of lunacy is the billions upon billions
of dollars that have been used to fund the war on drugs. Our nation
existed for some time before the government felt compelled to march
from Washington and save everyone from themselves -- using our money
to do it, of course. That money would have been better used if it sat
in the treasury and moldered.

We hope Alabama lawmakers will fulfill their duties as representatives
of free, thinking people. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.