HARMLESS PLANT SHOULD BE LEGAL

Editor:

Everyone thinks we're so progressive and ahead of the curve; well, we
really aren't. It really grinds my gears that Americans and all the
politicians supposedly "representing" us, whose job it is to do what
is best and smart, can't pull their heads out of the ground and take
a minute to think about the economic pros to legalizing a little
harmless plant known as weed.

Marijuana is less harmful than both tobacco and alcohol; funny how
both of those are totally socially acceptable. Alcohol kills
thousands of people a year, whether it's due to a drunk driver or
kidney failure. What about pot? I say no victim, no crime! About the
only problem legalizing weed would cause is a mass shortage of
Doritos and Hostess snack cakes at local convenience stores, and more
hazy-eyed, peaceful people forgetting what they were about to say.

Why don't we worry about something that's actually worth our time to
fight? Um, maybe crazy coke fiends, or scumbags cooking meth around
their children, or the people ruining their lives by booting black
tar heroin into their veins. Why do we waste our effort and money
busting harmless college deadheads with a spliff in their pockets?

If we were to legalize weed, put an age on it (let's just say 18),
and tax it, we could drastically reduce our nation's debt within 10
years. Maybe you're afraid people will be driving around blazed out
of their mind and cause wrecks and death? Well, I'm sure us "smart"
Americans can think of a way to test if someone who has been smoking
is driving and give them a DUI, same rules apply. I'm also not
implying people should be able to walk down a public street and burn
one, either. Smoking would be limited to "coffee shops" (like in
Amsterdam) or one's own home.

If you want to know the truth just visit www.norml.org. Pot is not
harmful! People that use it are not criminals! And pot is one of the
top 10 ideas presented to our president to help our country and get
it back on its feet, and I hope he does the smart thing.

Amanda Dunlap, Casper