GOVERNMENT IS KEEPING US SAFE FROM BOTTLE CAPS

Our view: The beer regulators should come to their senses and legalize
"Weed."

The federal government has to keep New York City safe from terrorists,
airline passengers safe from maintenance lapses and fairy shrimp safe
from off-roaders. It has a lot of balls in the air.

Does it really need to keep beer drinkers safe from subversive bottle
caps?

The sober-minded bureaucrats at the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade
Bureau think so. They've barred the Mt. Shasta Brewing Co. in Weed
from selling bottles topped with the message "Try LEGAL Weed."

That, the bureau says, amounts to promoting the use of marijuana, a
major no-no.

Never mind that the National Weather Service tells us if it will be a
nice day for Weed, and Caltrans' signs let us know how far it is to
Weed, and the Department of Education thoughtfully supports a college
in Weed. In those ways and more, the government pushes Weed every day.

Named for 19th-century lumberman Abner Weed long before any student
jokester posed in front of a sign, the city of Weed has learned to
accept the modern double-meaning with good humor and even earn a few
dollars off the T-shirt trade.

The brewery is following the same civic tradition, having a little
harmless fun to promote its product. Call it juvenile and tasteless,
but we've seen worse from microbreweries trying to win attention.

And let's get real: Anyone old enough to legally buy a six-pack of
Mountain High IPA or Shastafarian Porter (names that, come to think of
it, have a certain theme) is mature enough not to be dragged into a
life of drug-addled debauchery by a message on the bottle cap.

We look forward to toasting the day the feds come to their senses and
legalize "Weed."