LEGALIZE, REGULATE AND TAX CANNABIS

CROSBY, N.D. -- After educating North Dakotans on the science of
cannabis for almost two years, I've seen a majority agree that
cannabis prohibition is wrong. So, here are more facts about cannabis.

There are more than 600 medicinal and hundreds of hemp strains of
cannabis. Their uses range from curing cancer to making plastic and
biofuel. They're not going away.

When we decide to segregate the different strains and regulate
cannabis as a commodity (as we can), making it available legally in
pharmacies, coffee shops and liquor stores to adults older than 21,
these are the headlines that could result:

- - "High taxes imposed on cannabis bringing in millions."

- - "Cannabis cures cancer; millions being cured with only treatment
that protects healthy cells."

- - "Cannabis black market reduced to nothing. Teen use down; police
have time for crimes with victims."

- - "Thanks to cannabis, prescription drug overdoses down."

- - "Reduced prison population means money for real drug treatment."

- - "Teen dangerous drug use down."

- - "Cannabis use no longer results in criminal records or scholarship
denials for students."

- - "Cannabis removed from drug-test list for nondangerous jobs."

- - "U.S. no longer boasts world's largest prison system."

- - "Drunk driving deaths, domestic violence falls as cannabis proves
safer than alcohol."

Amazing things will happen when we again repeal prohibition. As
pharmaceutical companies would say, "The benefits far outweigh the risks."

Alcohol prohibition was repealed state by state before the
Constitution did the job. North Dakotans are compassionate and
intelligent people. We can remove the prohibition of
cannabis/marijuana/hemp here and show the country that we won't
criminalize our population only to satisfy an out-of-control federal
government.

It is impossible to regulate anything that is not legal. It's time
for regulation and harm reduction.

Del Snavely

Snavely is a member of the Medical Cannabis Association of North Dakota.