Pubdate: Sat, 11 Feb 2012
Source: Salt Lake Tribune (UT)
Copyright: 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune
Contact:  http://www.sltrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/383
Author: Christoper Holifield

NEEDLESS TRAGEDY

My sincerest condolences to the family of Ogden police Officer Jared 
Francom, who was killed in the line of duty on Jan. 3. The officers 
were just doing their job in executing issued warrants.

But let's look at the larger picture. If marijuana were already legal 
for medicinal use in Utah, as it is in 16 other states and the 
District of Columbia, this tragic incident wouldn't have happened. It 
wouldn't have happened because Matthew David Stewart would have been 
legally using marijuana medicinally, and he would have been under 
strict supervision by a doctor.

True, there are other legal alternatives to marijuana that have been 
proposed by the opponents of medical marijuana, but they are way too 
expensive, very addictive and have way too many side effects.

Utah should legalize medical marijuana and spend taxes to prosecute 
violent crimes, not punish non-violent, non-threatening marijuana patients.

Christoper Holifield

Salt Lake City
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom