Pubdate: Sun, 22 Jun 2014
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 2014 The Tribune Co.
Contact: http://tbo.com/list/news-opinion-letters/submit/
Website: http://tbo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446
Author: Chaz Roberts
Page: Views 3

STOP LYING ABOUT CANNABIS

Amendment 2, which is up for vote in Florida in November, is not 
about the outright legalization of cannabis in a recreational form. 
It's not about the decriminalization of the growth, cultivation, 
harvesting, possession, distribution, sale of or consumption of 
cannabis outside of legal medical purposes. It's about giving real 
patients, who truly would benefit from the medicinal effects from the 
cannabis plant, safe access to medicinal cannabis - without the fear 
of getting thrown into the hoosegow for trying to stop their 
tonic-clonic (formerly known as grand mal) epileptic seizures and the 
debilitating side effects from the pharmaceuticals being pumped into 
their bodies to fight atrocious battles with deadly diseases such as 
cancer and AIDS.

It's time to stop lying about cannabis. It doesn't make you go crazy. 
It doesn't make you run into the streets committing crimes against 
humanity. In fact, Denver has now reported that violent crime is down 
50 percent since the recreational use of cannabis law took effect in 
Colorado on Jan. 1, from the same time period in 2013. It doesn't 
make people quit their jobs and become lazy, and it's not addictive. 
And it's not a "gateway drug."

States that have regulated medical cannabis laws in their books have 
been uber detrimental to the illegal cannabis black market. Most 
cannabis growers who were supplying the illegal channels have gone 
legal and are taking their product to legal medical cannabis dispensaries.

Vote "yes" on Amendment 2 in November.

Chaz Roberts

Clearwater
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom