Pubdate: Fri, 08 May 2015
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA)
Copyright: 2015 Chico Enterprise-Record
Contact:  http://www.chicoer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/861
Note: Letters from newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority
Author: Erica Mitchell

RHETORIC IN ANTI-MARIJUANA LETTER WAS OVERBLOWN

It's disappointing to read Chris Sommers call medical marijuana 
patients and growers "terrorists." It's violent rhetoric toward his 
fellow Americans.

I know dozens of people with legit reasons for their Proposition 215 
scripts, from cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic migraines, liver 
failure and every health problem you can imagine. Many of these 
people are disabled and not able to grow for themselves so they must 
designate a caregiver/grower. Since Butte County has banned all 
dispensaries, where are these people supposed to get their medicine?

I am sorry Sommers had to deal with some bad apple growers, but it is 
wrong to mischaracterize everybody under a very degrading and 
dangerous word such as "terrorist." Terrorists by definition, deprive 
the rights and freedoms of others, and interestingly enough that is 
what Measure A does to Proposition 215 patients and growers. Butte 
County has banned all collective grows, all dispensaries and are 
hindering medical access for thousands of patients.

The biggest issue is authorities are using tactics that violate the 
Fourth Amendment.

Measure A is also on the wrong side of history with numerous states 
legalizing marijuana. Read the news and see how places like Colorado 
are reaping windfall tax revenues off licensing legal grows, whereas 
Butte County will lose over a million dollars this year in 
enforcement costs and legal costs. Measure A is unconstitutional and 
an extension of the archaic drug war and has turned medical marijuana 
patients into victims of an overbearing police state.

- - Erica Mitchell, Oroville
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom