DOES ANYONE NEED THAT MUCH MARIJUANA?

To the Editor:

This is in response to Jeanette Bogue's letter to the editor (Aug. 22
where she states that she is saddened that we Yes on B folks want to
punish the "patients." Again, you have completely missed our point. I
have yet to hear the answer from anyone on the No on B side as to why
a single "patient" requires 25, 26 or an unlimited supply of pot
plants for their own use at all times? And why does it have to be
grown outside? From doing research on hightimes.com and rollitup.org,
"backyard growers" claim a higher yield on outdoor grows than indoor.
Larger plants can be grown outdoors thus possibly producing more
ounces/pounds per plant. Again, why does a personal patient need that
much pot at one time? Would not 3 to 5 indoor plants do if this is
actually only for personal use? We are not saying you can't have it if
the pot is indeed for your own medicinal use. We are asking why it is
necessary for a medicinal grow to be so large if it is not also for
profit.

Jeanette also states that how can people on fixed income pay for a
state-mandated card or sheriff-issued zip tags for their plants. I say
if you want to be "legal" (I use this term loosely), then you should
just do it. I also think that you should pay tax on the plants you
grow for anyone other than yourself. Don't tell me you don't make
money on this, unless you are being oh so kind in donating your time
and energy to provide sick people their "medicine" for free. If you
make money, then you are a business and therefore should pay taxes,
just like myself and everyone else in this county who works in an
industry outside of marijuana.

Just out of curiosity, how do these poor, fixed income, patients
purchase their plants? Their marijuana? Is this also being donated by
the kind, understanding medical caregiver? Somehow, I doubt it.

The problem with the No on B camp is that they want everyone to think
that granny and grandpa with two pounds of pot for her cancer and his
glaucoma will be handcuffed and carted off to jail. This is so far
outside of reality that it is laughable. The growers that we want
prosecuted are those that flaunt the 20-plus marijuana cards from
other patients, call themselves caregivers and grow in our backyards
and next to our children and schools. If we can see it and we can
smell it (and I've already stated that I can do both), then you are
growing it in my backyard. Medical marijuana, as a rule, is a scam
concocted by those who are reaping huge profits under the guise of
being care providers. Perhaps you should look at these people, these
commercial growers, instead of pointing the blame at citizens who have
had it up to here with the blatant disregard for our city, our county,
our lifestyle and our environment.

Michele Pearson

Ukiah