Pubdate: Mon, 25 Jul 2016
Source: Boston Globe (MA)
Copyright: 2016 Globe Newspaper Company
Contact: http://services.bostonglobe.com/news/opeds/letter.aspx?id=6340
Website: http://bostonglobe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/52
Author: Brian Collins

WHY ARE WE DIVIDED ON MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION?

As someone who was raised in Massachusetts and moved to Colorado 
three years ago, partly for the benefits of marijuana legalization, 
I'm perplexed that recent polls show a divided electorate on the 
question of legalization in my home state. We're talking about a 
plant drug that has never killed anyone in recorded history and has 
many medical benefits. Why should people be allowed to drink alcohol, 
objectively a much more dangerous substance, while the 10 to 15 
percent of the population that uses pot gets hassled by law 
enforcement? Why not simply bring it within the law and reap the 
benefits of the tax dollars?

Here in Colorado, it's supported by even more people than who voted 
for it. Youth use of the drug has not gone up; in fact, it's gone 
down. Marijuana has nothing to do with the opiate crisis; in fact, 
it's been shown to be a solution for many who are struggling with 
opiates. I implore Massachusetts voters to legalize it already.

Brian Collins

Boulder, Colo.
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