END MODERN PROHIBITION

I am quite content with my life here in Vacaville; however, I
sincerely feel that Vacaville and Solano County are always behind the
curve when it comes to certain aspects in our society. I am speaking
of medical marijuana (cannabis) dispensaries, which could provide
many people with not only pain relief, but also a much better life in general.

Many of us feel that our elected officials have a buggy-whip
mentality and cannot see beyond their blue noses. Did you know, for
example, that the voters of California approved Proposition 215 in
1996 relating to marijuana, and yet, to the best of my knowledge, no
cannabis dispensaries are in our county.

Did you also know that physicians can recommend cannabis for cancer,
anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, glaucoma, arthritis, migraines and "any
other illness for which marijuana provides relief"? I can relate to
at least a couple of those problems myself. But smoking in general is
a filthy habit which makes the smoker smell foul beyond belief. I do
not intend on starting now.

Prohibition didn't work in the '30s and it is not working now, with
regard to preventing folks from obtaining it if they really want to.
I am certainly not suggesting that someone who abuses cannabis to
should get into an automobile and drive around stoned. Not on your
life, nor mine, either.

But it is time for us to take the bull by the tail and look the facts
in the face ... by making cannabis legal and available, it can
immediately remove the horrendous profit motivation currently enjoyed
by marijuana growers and traffickers statewide.

On Dec. 5, we will all celebrate the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.
The same year that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected president
and started bringing us out of the Great Depression, bringing
millions of people out of hopelessness, unemployment and starvation.

On this memorable day, Dec. 5, 2009, I encourage everyone to write
their elected officials and demand that we raise ourselves out of the
Dark Ages and start relieving people of their pain and oppression
with the current stigma regarding cannabis by lawmakers and law
enforcement in Solano County.

Harry M. Short

Vacaville