MAKING MARIJUANA ILLEGAL CAUSES MORE PROBLEMS

Free people of America, I feel it is time for an appraisal of one of
our great nation's most futile endeavors, the failed prohibition of marijuana.

Time and again, we've seen prominent and respected members of
communities labeled criminals for choosing to disregard archaic
legislation and exercise their perceived freedoms in private.

Proponents of this prohibition quickly judge and utter "it's
illegal," never stopping to ask why or to address the consequences of
banning a harmless drug that nearly 10 percent of Americans openly
admit to using.

Despite noble efforts, the so-called "war on drugs" has not stemmed
America's appetite for pot or any other drug. The collateral damage,
however, has not been so passive.

Our prison population is the largest on the planet, and nearly a
quarter of the inmates are serving time for non-violent drug offenses.

And since the demand for this illegal product has failed to decline
and there is an endless supply of people ready to make money off of
it, this imprisonment has had no effect except to burden the taxpayer.

Our senseless government makes billions off the taxation of alcohol
and tobacco, substances which dwarf the health concerns of marijuana.
And with marijuana illegal, in every sense, all profits go to
international criminals and their corrupt political counterparts.

Left in this wake are crumbling governments and their desperate
citizens who flee across the border to become our infamous illegal aliens.

Free people of America, I implore you to set aside your bitter
perceptions, ask questions and demand answers. Educate yourself, and
learn to distinguish fact from propaganda, and truth from lies. It is
time to end this failed prohibition, and give Americans back the
freedom to do what they wish in the privacy of their own homes.

Josh Lillie

Normal