Pubdate: Tue, 07 Jan 2014
Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Copyright: 2014 The Commercial Appeal
Contact: http://web.commercialappeal.com/newgo/forms/letters.htm
Website: http://www.commercialappeal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/95
Author: Sean Douglas

THE CASE FOR LEGAL POT

When Ruth Marcus says "our kids will not be better off with another 
mind-altering legal substance" (Jan. 3 Viewpoint column, "Legal pot a 
bad idea whose time has come") she is dead wrong. They will be much 
better off. She can cite all the studies she wants about the effects 
of marijuana usage on teenagers. That still doesn't mean you can stop 
the usage of it, nor does it mean punishing kids for life is the 
right way to go.

When kids are arrested for smoking pot, something Marcus admitted to 
using, their whole lives are ruined. They are put on probation at the 
very least and have a criminal record, making it very difficult to 
get a job. In fact, you are completely banned from ever getting some 
jobs if you get caught smoking one doobie. Marcus is lucky she never 
got arrested, or she probably wouldn't be where she is now.

Any high schooler will tell you it is easier to get pot than alcohol. 
Why? You have to be friends with someone over 21, or risk stealing 
your parents' liquor, to get alcohol. Everyone and his neighbor sells 
pot, and they don't discriminate by age because their sales aren't 
legal to begin with.

Not to mention the incredible amount of resources we waste trying to 
stop this problem. I find it funny that whenever there is a "huge 
bust" by police standards, it is still extremely easy to find weed in 
the days after the bust, like always, because there is a huge market 
for pot. So why not legalize it, so we can stop infringing on one's 
rights to his or her own body, and stop wasting so much money and time?

Sean Douglas, Germantown
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom