POT: DECRIMINALIZE AND REGULATE MARIJUANA

On March 24, a Kitsap County Superior Court jury found Bruce Olson not
guilty of growing marijuana for sale. Olson suffers from arthritis and
used medical marijuana to ease the pain caused by a strenuous career
as a stone mason.

Hopefully, the tide is starting to turn against our futile war against
this naturally occurring substance. It's time for this nation to
realize that marijuana, while it is not the bluebird of happiness, it
is not the scourge of civilization either.

It's time for us all to, as PBS's European travel expert Rick Steves
says, "have a conversation" about marijuana. Prohibition of alcohol
brought us organized crime, and the prohibition against marijuana
helps continue organized crime's existence.

This plant is here to stay and will continue to be used by millions of
otherwise law-abiding citizen each year. There's nothing we can do
about it. It's time to decriminalize marijuana and regulate its use.
Let's finally end prohibition.

L.H. Smith

University Place