Pubdate: Fri, 05 Feb 2016
Source: Portland Press Herald (ME)
Copyright: 2016 MaineToday Media, Inc.
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/J9R991Zc
Website: http://www.pressherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/744
Author: Robert Cunningham

THINK ABOUT THE AWFUL CONSEQUENCES OF LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

I was watching the news last night with my son. One segment in 
particular that struck a nerve with me was the debate on the 
legalization of marijuana. They had several individuals speaking on 
how they've acquired over 100,000 signatures on petitions backing a 
statewide vote on legalization.

This referendum may actually pass, making this now-illegal and 
dangerous drug available to everyone. What is troubling to me is the 
effort everyone seems to be putting forward for a "high."

Marijuana is already legal for medical purposes for those who need 
it. If legal for other purposes, this drug will bring nothing but 
trouble to our schools and youth and to our roads and communities.

What I would like to know is:

Who signed the petitions?

What were they told?

What were they led to believe?

Did anyone who signed consider the increased availability of this 
drug to our teens?

Did they consider the danger to our police and emergency response 
personnel or the cost to train police to detect it?

Did anyone who signed consider the cost of security that will need to 
increase everywhere it is sold?

Are businesses prepared to detect personnel who are using during work hours?

How about the cost to rehabilitate our citizens who become desperate 
from over-use?

Maybe instead of trying to legalize a drug, these fellow citizens 
should first start with petitioning to raise money to prepare for it. 
It seems that they are interested in only getting high.

If they worked all day fighting for our country, or policing our 
streets, or maybe working in a office or raising children, would they 
then be so interested in legalizing a drug for recreational use?

It's a serious question that people should really think about.

Robert Cunningham

Cumberland
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom