Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jan 2014
Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)
Copyright: 2014 Albuquerque Journal
Contact:  http://www.abqjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/10
Author: Steve Wilson

STOP LIES ABOUT MARIJUANA

THE EDITORIAL SLANT evidenced by your use of the cartoon with two 
"stoned" parents making snow angels and neglecting their hungry child 
- - compounded by your editorial statement - is so stupidly cliched and 
disingenuous it must be challenged.

Marijuana prohibition was born of lies and maintained by lies. The 
laws against cannabis were passed by racist fear mongering. They were 
wrong the day they were enacted, they have been wrong for over 80 
years and they are wrong now.

All - and I mean all - of the problems with marijuana can be 
attributed to the effects of prohibition itself, not the effects of 
the plant. So much social and economic damage has been done in the 
name of this public policy shibboleth, it's a travesty. Not one 
reason - none - used by the prohibitionists has ever held up to 
legitimate scientific scrutiny.

If we wait, we'll be another year into the human suffering from the 
disastrous effects these lies have caused in our society. No more. 
Our governor has already stated her position. Of course she doesn't 
want to admit that she was part of a system that perpetrated these 
offenses. Nor does she want to go against her self-serving campaign 
contributors - be they greedy industrialists or misguided moralizers. Enough.

Every day, more and more discoveries are being made about this 
remarkable plant, one of, if not the most beneficial plant on Earth. 
Hyperbole? Not a bit. We are now in the era where those old lies are 
indefensible. Legalization is coming and the prohibitionist 
profiteers are simply lobbying for conditions that continue their 
ill-gotten gains.

STEVE WILSON

Albuquerque
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom