Keoka Washington, 25, said she started smoking weed at 11 a.m. Saturday to "get a head start" on celebrating the counterculture holiday 4/20. She and nine of her closest friends revel in the holiday that marijuana users refer to as "smokeout day" by firing up a blunt and eating.

"You can bite and smoke at the same time," Washington said. "We pass it. We're a group. Sharing is caring."

April 20 is the day that smoking weed was made popular by rock band Grateful Dead, but the origins of the phrase have been disputed. Smokers gathered at Overton Park discreetly mixed into a crowd of others who barbecued, walked their pets and enjoyed the sunny weather on blankets.

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Home drug screening kits will be given away on Saturday to Memphis area parents who want to test their kids for illegal drug use.

The Rural/Metro Corp. in cooperation with notMYkid.org chose 4/20 as the distribution date for the test because it's know as National Get High Day among marijuana users, according to a company statement.

About 200 kits will be available at the Baker Community Center at 7942 Church Street in Millington from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

[end]

I had the pleasure of reading the anti-marijuana letter "Pitfalls of marijuana." The writer's points are well-taken. Now I would like to offer some hard facts about the consequences of smoking just plain old tobacco. These facts deserve knowing since they represent enormous amounts of our health care dollars. In fact, these consequences account for the single largest outlay of money for health care. Most of this information is readily accessible from the highly respected CDC. Are you ready for the 800-pound gorilla in the room?

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In response to the April 13 letter "Pitfalls of marijuana," I hope the writer is also in favor of banning alcohol, caffeine, sugar, tobacco, cough medicine and any prescription anxiety or depression medicine if he is against any drug that "creates a sensation, an illusion that is momentary." Also, I am confused as to what he means by no redeeming qualities. It has been proven marijuana has medical benefits. Just because it has bad side effects does not mean no benefits. It's a question if the benefits outweigh the negatives.

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The president's position on pot continues to be dangerously vague and confusing."

As the nation's capital prepares to open its first legal medicinal marijuana dispensary and Sen. Rand Paul's call for legalization basks in bipartisan praise, it's time for President Barack Obama to clear the air around his own passive-aggressive position on pot.

Until now, the president has been remarkably adept at taking positions that seemed to be ahead of their time - and getting ahead of them.

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I recently read that a pot dealer in Trenton, Tenn., was given 30 years in the penitentiary for distributing a couple thousand pounds of marijuana. This is an extremely foolish carbon-copy repeat of the religiously spawned federal Prohibition of beer and other alcoholic products nearly a century ago.

The only drugs I do are aspirin, Finasteride and a few other benign medications my VA doctors prescribe; however, I have known hundreds of good, solid citizens who do smoke pot in their leisure time, and who do function as honest, upstanding members of the business world.

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