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LET'S WEED OUT THE STATE'S POT-LIQUOR DOUBLE STANDARD

I am writing in response to the editorial on Sunday, Jan.  5, about pot in Massachusetts, particularly the line that asks will children be confused about what their parents are doing.

Obviously they are not confused about daddy drinking beers every night and all weekend or about mom's martinis with her friends.  They are not confused by drinking because in our society it's OK to drink daily; it's OK to be drunk.  I don't advocate that kids should smoke, just like I don't think they should drink.

Drinking is shown on just about every TV show.  Jersey Shore was one of the most popular shows a couple of years ago and all it was was young adults getting hammered and sleeping around; kids aren't confused by that though.  I've heard people say that marijuana is a gateway drug; the real gateway drug comes from mommy and dad's liquor cabinet.

If I went to work today and told everyone that I got totally hammered last night drinking 10 beers and 6 shots, they would all laugh and say what a crazy guy you are and how cool you are that you can drink that much.  On the other hand if I said I had smoked one joint and watch some TV, they would walk away and tell me I was a druggy and need some help.

I've read The Sun every day for over 35 years and almost daily there is a story about a car accident where the driver was drunk, a bar fight or a family member abusing another family member all while they are drunk.  I have never read a story where any of that happen because the person was high on pot.

My dad died an alcoholic.  In the last two years of his life he collapsed three times; his body had had enough.  His kidneys, liver and pancreas were breaking down, but he refused to stop drinking.  He lived with me for a while, my wife and I fought with him to get him to stop drinking; again he refused.

He ran away from his family so he could keep drinking.  I tried to find him but I got a call three months later; the police had found him collapsed on a sidewalk.  We found out later that he had been living in his car, had gotten mugged so he stopped carrying his wallet.  It took the police two weeks after he died to find me.

I on the other hand had smoked regularly for over 30 years.  I had to quit because the new job I got has a drug-testing policy.  I never got the shakes or withdrawals.  After 30 years my body is not falling apart and my brain is not mush, I'm a controls engineer who designs and programs automation controls for industrial machines.  And I never considered leaving my loving family so I could keep smoking.

Get the facts and put them in perspective.

JOHN LAMPORT

North Billerica