MARIJUANA USE, GROWTH SHOULD BE LEGALIZED

Editor:

The arrest of Robert Sterling Boulter for possession of 105 marijuana plants
worth roughly $128,000 by local police is an example of fine law
enforcement. Yet, it is simultaneously an example of wasted resources.
I say it is fine law enforcement because, yes, this activity is illegal.
Officers should always be commended for enforcing the law effectively. Yet,
I call the arrest an example of wasted resources because the investigation
by the Watauga County Sheriff's Office Special Operations Division, with
assistance from the Boone Police Department Narcotics Division, could be
better spent focusing on something actually harmful.

Data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC)
"Wonder" system confirm that marijuana caused 37 total deaths in the entire
country from 1979 to 2003 (that's right, an average of 1.5 deaths per year).
One of these deaths was in North Carolina in 1999, and his death was
determined to be from an unspecified cause.

It is counted as "marijuana induced" because he was a marijuana user
(but also a user of other drugs). Meanwhile, during the same time
period, more people died from falling in wells (51), in sports
collisions (51), from snake bites (97), from spider bites (99), and
because of injuries sustained while mowing the lawn (151). As for more
serious threats, about 25,000 died from falling down the stairs, more
than 30,000 people died from choking on food, nearly 40,000 died from
choking on things other than food, and 285,000 people drowned,
including almost 7,000 that drowned in their own bathtubs!

In terms of other drugs, alcohol killed about 400,000 people during
this time. And, according to the same CDC, tobacco kills 430,000 every
single year, including 38,000 nonsmokers!

Logic dictates that it makes no sense whatsoever to arrest people for
using, possessing, growing, or selling marijuana, a relatively
harmless substance (1.5 deaths nationwide each year). Further, the
drug has widely acknowledged medicinal benefits, including for
arthritis, cancer, chronic pain, gastro-intestinal disorders,
HIV/AIDS, movement disorders, and multiple sclerosis. Research also
shows that the risk of dependence for marijuana is much lower than for
most other drugs.

Thus it is not surprising that research shows that the vast majority
of people who use marijuana do so in a pro-social, non-harmful, and
responsible way. They never go on to use any other illicit substance
(and for those who do, they universally started with tobacco and
alcohol prior to moving on to marijuana).

Having said all this, I am not a proponent of legalization. I
understand that it may be a bad idea to allow companies to sell this
product and ruthlessly target our children the way that tobacco and
alcohol companies have done. But arresting someone for growing the
drug in his own home is simply a waste of vital resources.

I hereby ask local law enforcement agencies to deprioritize marijuana.
Instead of arresting people for growing marijuana, get on with
investigations into drugs (and other crimes) that actually hurt
people.

Matthew Robinson

Boone