Re: "The Christian case for drug law reform - Marijuana is not God's mistake for the government to fix, says Rep. David Simpson of Longview," March 5 Viewpoints.

It is heartening to see Simpson write a well-reasoned piece advocating the repeal of marijuana prohibition in Texas. Even more heartening, he has not been summarily branded a heretic. Simpson's Christian perspective reminds us: "As ye have done unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done unto me."

I believe every law has a positive intent. The positive intent of draconian drug penalties must have been deterrence: If penalties are harsh enough, people will not even think about breaking the law.

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States where it's allowed have seen benefits, say Benjamin Powell and Audrey Redford

Last month's legalization of recreational marijuana use in Washington, D.C., has prompted some congressional Republicans to try to undermine the reforms. However, economic theory and the experience of states where marijuana is already legal indicate that legalization creates more benefits than costs.

Alaska also legalized marijuana last month. The recreational use and possession of up to 2 ounces of marijuana is now legal in Washington, D.C., for people 21 and older. (In Alaska, it's 1 ounce.) Although the sale of marijuana is still illegal in D.C., gifts of up to 1 ounce are permitted. Marijuana must be consumed on private property, and people are allowed to "home grow" up to six marijuana plants in both D.C. and Alaska. Alaska plans to allow marijuana retailer licensing in 2016, but D.C. has not announced any plans to legalize the sale of marijuana.

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Re: "The Christian case for drug law reform - Marijuana is not God's mistake for the government to fix, says Rep. David Simpson of Longview," Thursday news story.

One of Rep. Simpson's arguments for legalizing marijuana seems to be as follows: Marijuana occurs in nature, and since nature is God's handiwork, it is good and therefore governments should not oppose it. As he states: "I recognize the innate goodness of everything God made .. ."

Does this include tobacco? Devastating tornadoes and earthquakes? How about all manner of deadly microbes? All of these are elements of nature. How are these innately good?

Louis DeGiulio, Flower Mound

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Marijuana Is Not God's Mistake for the Government to Fix, Says Rep. David Simpson of Longview

As a Christian, I recognize the innate goodness of everything God made and humanity's charge to be stewards of the same. In fact, it's for this reason that I'm especially cautious when it comes to laws banning plants. I don't believe that when God made marijuana he made a mistake that government needs to fix.

Regrettably, that's not the course we have pursued on more than one occasion. In the name of protecting the public, certain substances have been declared evil and contraband. So evil are these substances that state and federal agents are empowered to enforce laws with little to no regard for constitutional protections of individual rights, the sanctity of one's home or the right to travel freely.

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AUSTIN - Nearly 300 marijuana enthusiasts made their way to the Texas Capitol on Wednesday to persuade tough-on-crime Republicans to loosen their stance on the drug.

They were sober and dressed to impress. And though lawmakers may give their proposal some consideration, their hopes are likely to go up in smoke.

Undeterred by the conservative leadership's anti-pot position, Shaun McAlister of Arlington left home at 5:30 a.m. to drive to Austin. He was determined to educate lawmakers about the benefits he believes marijuana has to offer. The North Texas Republicans he met with were polite but noncommittal.

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As a primary care provider, I'm used to seeing medical trends emerge. Right now, I'm paying close attention to the debate over marijuana legalization.

Colorado launched legal recreational marijuana sales on Jan. 1, 2014. Last month, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that Colorado health care providers have experienced "unexpected health effects" from the widespread use of marijuana. JAMA contributors report the state has seen an increased number of patients with severe burns from butane-ignited flash fires. According to their experts, butane is used to extract tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

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Bills Would Free Use of Extract to Control Seizures

Bills filed last week by two Republican state lawmakers might open a door for Texans desperate for a therapy to control severe epilepsy. The proposal would legalize use of a cannabis extract for treatment of debilitating seizures, under a doctor's supervision.

The two bill authors, Sen. Kevin Eltife of Tyler and Rep. Stephanie Klick of Fort Worth, deserve credit for sticking their necks out with their proposal, an idea more commonly associated with Democrats. They might leave themselves vulnerable to charges of going soft on use of the marijuana plant, but that accusation would miss the point.

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John Baucum Steers Republicans Who Want to Change Marijuana Laws

A bipartisan coalition has formed to lobby the Legislature to revise marijuana laws and join the 28 states that have decriminalized or legalized use of small amounts. Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition is one of the groups. We posed questions about the initiative to RAMP's political director, John Baucum, 31, who's also president of the Houston Young Republicans and an account manager for a software company: I'd guess some people are surprised to hear the name of your group - Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition - since the GOP typically represents the status quo on social issues. True?

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I fail to see the problem with legalizing medical marijuana. It has shown some astounding benefits for children who suffer from some kinds of seizures. It has shown great benefits for people receiving chemotherapy, those with glaucoma and other ailments.

The quotes attributed to Judge Stoudt in the News-Journal seem to imply we cannot pursue legalization of a valuable medicine and the prohibition of an allegedly toxic substance (K2 or synthetic marijuana) at the same time. Why not?

This conflict seems to come back to the issue of civil asset forfeiture. This is the means used by police to confiscate assets. Those assets then become the property of the police agency that confiscated them.

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Finally, a robust and unified effort is under way to reform Texas' flawed marijuana prohibition laws.

Advocates, community leaders and organizations from around the state and across the political spectrum have formed a broad coalition, Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, which is urging state lawmakers to adopt a more sensible approach to marijuana policy.

Texas voters also appear ready for change. A poll conducted around this time last year found more than 3 out of 4 support overhauling current state marijuana laws. Most want to see harsh criminal penalties removed for simple possession or legal access to medical marijuana for people with serious illnesses.

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DALLAS (AP) - Oregon was forced to bench two players because of failed drug tests days before the team competes in the first College Football Playoff title game, the latest hit to a roster already depleted by injuries.

Wide receiver Darren Carrington and running back Ayele Forde did not travel with Oregon for Monday's national championship game against Ohio State after each failed NCAA-mandated drug test. Carrington tested positive for marijuana; the results of Forde's test weren't disclosed.

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DALLAS - Oregon wide receiver Darren Carrington and running back Ayele Forde will not play in Monday's national championship game after positive NCAA drug tests, coach Mark Helfrich said Saturday.

Carrington did not travel with the team to Dallas after testing positive for marijuana. The results of Forde's test were not immediately clear.

Helfrich said the team has faced many issues during the season, including injuries. But he insisted that the team is not distracted heading into the first College Football Playoff title game.

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Re: "Apply due process to forfeiture - Powerful tool has become another government idea gone awry, says David Simpson," Dec. 23, Viewpoints.

Thanks to Rep. David Simpson for calling attention to the most corrupting influence in law enforcement: civil asset forfeiture. According to an analysis of 43,000 state and local reports submitted to the Justice Department Equitable Sharing Program, nearly $2.5 billion was seized. In up to 81 percent of the cases, no indictment was ever filed.

Civil forfeiture laws presume seized property to be tainted. Property owners must prove in court that their money or property was acquired legally in order to get it back. This is almost always more expensive than giving up the legally acquired property.

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Regarding "Stockman bill would have banned some asset seizures" (Page B2, Tuesday), if only Steve's Stockman's bill to stop federal seizure of assets could fix bad laws instead of being a political statement.

The government's ability to label goods suspicious and take them without any proof of illegalities is Orwellian in its reasoning.

The Justice Department claims it's an effective tool, ignoring innocent victims of asset seizure in the fever to stop drug trafficking and organized crime.

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Powerful Tool Has Become Another Government Idea Gone Awry, Says David Simpson

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary."

- - James Madison, 1788

Civil asset forfeiture, or forfeiture of contraband as it is referred to in Chapter 59 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, is the process by which the state may confiscate assets of an individual that are alleged to be proceeds or instruments of crime. Current law allows such property to be seized even if the property owner is never charged, much less convicted. If charges are brought, the seized property may be disposed of prior to conviction, or in the case of acquittal, does not have to be returned to the owner.

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Regarding "Wise counsel" (Page B8, Thursday), Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland is to be commended for speaking out against marijuana prohibition.

There are positive aspects to legalization that bear repeating. New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that states with open medical marijuana access have a 25 percent lower opioid overdose death rate than marijuana prohibition states.

This research finding has huge implications for states such as Texas that are grappling with prescription narcotic and heroin overdose deaths.

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Congress Should Listen to What Houston Police Chief Charles Mcclelland Has to Say.

Advocates for ending the war on drugs found an unlikely new ally last week: Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland.

In an interview with Houston-based radio show Cultural Baggage, McClelland candidly discussed the undeniable facts about our nation's criminalization and prohibition of marijuana, calling the drug war a "miserable failure."

"Most police chiefs understand that when it comes to marijuana use, we cannot (continue) to criminalize such a large population of society that engage in casual marijuana use," McClelland said during the pre-recorded interview that aired Friday on KPFT 90.1.

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Izaiah Ruiz's epilepsy was so severe, his daily life so miserable, that his grandmother says she would have sold her Montgomery County home and moved to Colorado for what many say is a new, miracle treatment: marijuana.

But Lori Fountain couldn't make the finances work. As her 6-year-old grandson suffered, all she could do was follow online the progress of patients who sought treatment in Colorado, where marijuana is legal. Their families reported patients suddenly were seizure-free, verbal, able to dress and feed themselves thanks to treatment with a strain of marijuana, a preparation known as Charlotte's Web, which has become something of a national phenomenon.

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Man Who Had Faced Possible Life Sentence Takes 7 Years Probation.

GEORGETOWN - A man whose case made national news when he was facing up to life in prison for possessing pot brownies in Williamson County has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

Jacob Lavoro, 20, pleaded guilty Wednesday to the second-degree felony of possession of tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC, said his lawyer, Jack Holmes. Lavoro agreed to the plea in exchange for a sentence of seven years' probation, Holmes said.

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Regarding "Advocates of legal pot say it's not if, but when" (Page A1, Monday), I believe that the government should legalize the use of marijuana. However, the government should be in charge of taxing and regulating the substance. By doing so, the government will generate new revenues and lower the number of criminals selling marijuana. This would also allow for police to focus more on major crimes rather than petty criminal charges of marijuana possession.

I agree with the fact that the government should place an age limit on the drug.

Sam Kretzschmar, Bellaire

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