Pubdate: Fri, 04 Jul 2014
Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK)
Copyright: 2014 Fairbanks Publishing Company, Inc.
Contact: http://newsminer.com/pages/submit_letters_to_editor
Website: http://newsminer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/764
Author: Darby Andrews
Note: Darby Andrews served in the United States Army, with a 10-month 
tour of duty in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. He currently 
lives in Girdwood and is part of a coalition of military veterans 
supporting Ballot Measure 2.

MARIJUANA MEASURE IS A LIBERTY ISSUE

FAIRBANKS - As a U.S. Army veteran of Operation Desert Storm, I am 
asking Alaskans on this Independence Day weekend to join me in 
publicly supporting a policy reform grounded in a concern for the 
individual liberties of Alaskans.

On Nov. 4, 2014, Alaskans will have the chance to vote on a ballot 
initiative that will end the harmful and ineffective policy of 
marijuana prohibition and replace it with a system in which marijuana 
is taxed and regulated like alcohol. Ballot Measure 2 will restrict 
legal use to adults 21 years of age or older and allow limited sale 
of marijuana through licensed, taxpaying businesses that test their 
products and require proof of age.

I have decided to take a stand on this initiative based on personal 
experiences with marijuana - experiences that I know are shared by 
many of my fellow veterans in Alaska. I served my country from 
1989-1992, including a 10-month tour of duty in Iraq. When I returned 
to the United States, I suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder 
(PTSD) and problems sleeping. In response, the VA prescribed me 
medications with such adverse side effects that they caused more harm 
than good. To deal with my medical conditions in a more natural way, 
without being subjected to potentially hazardous prescription drugs, 
I turned to marijuana - a substance whose medicinal benefits have 
been well documented and researched.

The problem is that marijuana is currently illegal in Alaska. 
Veterans like me cannot legally purchase it, and our medical 
marijuana law does not cover serious conditions such as PTSD. Nobody 
who fights for their country on a foreign battlefield should have to 
fight the government for their right to treat the injuries and 
conditions they are suffering from as a result of that service.

There are other compelling reasons to support this reform. We all 
know that law enforcement officials' time and resources would be 
better spent addressing serious crimes instead of arresting and 
prosecuting adults for using marijuana. Furthermore, a legitimate 
industry based around marijuana would create new jobs and generate 
much-needed tax revenue for Alaska. Additionally, multiple polls 
released this year have shown that the majority of Alaska voters are 
in favor of taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol. The time is 
now to replace the failed policy of marijuana prohibition with a more 
sensible approach that honors the ideals that unite us Alaskans.

I believe there is little logic in having policies that give 
criminals in the underground market monopoly control of a 
multimillion-dollar industry based around a substance that is 
objectively safer than alcohol, and it is simply inexcusable to 
continue to prevent the proud men and women who have served this 
country from making reasonable decisions about their own personal 
health and wellbeing. It is time for Alaska veterans and non-veterans 
alike to stand up and support this commonsense change in policy.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom