Pubdate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012
Source: Taunton Daily Gazette (MA)
Copyright: 2012 Taunton Daily Gazette
Contact:  http://www.tauntongazette.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2750
Author: Justin Matheus

LEGALIZE MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

The legalization of medical cannabis symbolizes more than just a 
large group of people - several thousand in the commonwealth - 
gaining access to the only drug that adequately treats their illness 
without the fear of prosecution looming over their shoulders.

The passage of ballot Question 3, Massachusetts becoming the 18th 
state to legalize medical cannabis would represent yet another notch 
in the exposure of cannabis' Schedule 1 classification by the federal 
government as empirically illegitimate.

That said, this week's release of the FBI's Uniform Crime Report 
comes at an opportune time to support the case for medical cannabis. 
In a climate of more than 750,000 arrests being made yearly in this 
nation in the past decade, roughly 40 percent of which being issued 
for mere possession, as said report reflects, the notion of legally 
allowing possession for medical purposes is hardly radical, and 
refreshingly compassionate.

To all those who favor truth over fear, progress over regression, 
compassion over condemnation, I urge you to vote yes on ballot 
Question 3 Tuesday.

Justin Matheus

Randolph
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom