FORGET ABOUT S.B. 94, IT'S TIME TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

Delaware's Legislature is about to consider Senate Bill 94, which
supposedly is intended to protect patients who may benefit from the
medical use of marijuana.

The bill is a farce.

After intentionally removing glaucoma from the short list of
protected patients, only seven diseases will qualify a patient for protection.

Not covered are chronic pain, Crohn's disease and many, many other
diseases for which marijuana provides relief.

Worse yet, S.B. 94 will create several new anti-religious,
anti-recreational use crimes.

This will be nothing but a green light to law enforcement to start
arresting marijuana consumers again, as these laws have done in every
state that passed them.

A couple of decades ago, over 8,000 people a year were arrested for
marijuana offenses, and many were patients. Last year, according to
the FBI, a few more than 200 were arrested, and none of them were patients.

Instead of passing the stalking horse of S.B. 94, Delaware
legislators need to make official the de facto legalization the state
has been enjoying.

Richard Schimelfenig

Wilmington