ALASKANS SHOULD VOTE FOR HEMP

I would like Miss Tess Forbush ("Smoking pot is a choice, one with
consequences," April 5) to know that voting is a choice with consequences,
too. This November's election will determine whether Alaskans have the
proper education about the issues before them. As clear as the glass that
can be made from hemp, the choice is whether to establish a renewable,
sustainable, natural, economic resource for Alaska, or continue on the
destructive environmental path industry has chosen instead.

The "real danger of marijuana" is that ignorant people, such as you portray
yourself, Miss Forbush, fail to see past the one, nontoxic hemp product
called "marijuana" and realize the other 49,999 products that
comprehensively cover fuel, fiber, food and medicine.

Children in Alaskan villages are dying from sniffing gasoline, and I don't
hear you spouting statistics to incarcerate gasoline users. Being a
teenager, I'm sure you'd rather have your friends on Prozac, Ritalin,
Valium, or beer than use marijuana. Just realize that more people died from
aspirin last year than from marijuana use. But even if using marijuana
never killed anybody, not using marijuana environmentally may kill us all!
It's a choice Alaskans can vote upon in November.

R.L. Marcy, chair, HEMP2000, Wasilla