POT CAMPAIGN MISUNDERSTOOD

Anchorage attorney Wev Shea may truly believe that marijuana is as
destructive as he described in his editorial ("Vote 'No' on Ballot Measure
5, 99Hemp," Voice of the Times, Aug. 24). He may not question the
government's multimillion-dollar campaigns against hemp and marijuana. Shea
was probably not taught about the importance that hemp has in U.S. history.
He probably never learned that hemp prohibition was brought about by racism
and greed and not because it was a harmful drug. Or maybe he does know this
but as an attorney has some financial gains in keeping marijuana illegal.

Shea defines "addictive" as "compulsive, repeated use in spite of adverse
consequences." Marijuana's "adverse consequences" are with the laws. That
is why thousands of Alaskans signed the petition to put Proposition 5 on
the ballot. These people are not criminals. They don't want the criminal
drug culture Shea described. They want legalization and regulation so that
attorneys can prosecute the real criminals.

Loren Neitzey, Anchorage