IS MARIJUANA OUR LEGACY?

To the Editor:

I read Ron Orenstein's commentary in the Willits News and was happy
to see that a more vocal avenue is being used by those of us who are
fed up with the medical marijuana great lie. I also thought that
both the politicians and the pot growers would get the message with
the passage of Measure B, but, as with any group of people, who have
nothing better to do, and a tax free income, the pot growers are
pounding the beat and hitting up our local politicians for their cause.

As he stated, once again, the medical marijuana advocates are
pushing their cause with the poster people they used to get Prop.
215 passed in the first place. Terminally ill and very sick people.
When in reality 99 percent of the pot being grown is for people who
are nowhere near sick. I am talking the jacked up 4 X 4 truck crowd,
the 19-somethings with headaches, and all those other minor maladies
that the cellular phone physicians write "recommendations" for. In
other words "drug traffickers."

This ridiculous abuse of the medical marijuana provision has turned
normally law abiding citizens into drug traffickers. Garages and
under home storage areas turned into indoor grow rooms. Hastily and
dangerously wired storage areas below their kids bedrooms converted
for the purposes of growing pot, which will eventually be waived in
front of their kids someday. A gateway drug of their own making.

Being in the real estate profession, I see
foreclosed homes everyday that were nothing but pot grows. It is
sad to see families foreclosed out of homes, but, even sadder to
see that they used the storage room or the bedroom next to their
children's bedroom as growing and drying areas. Homes that were
financed to the max, converted to drug facades, and then dumped by
the owners. They took the bank and the community to the cleaners,
and took a pocket load of cash with them.

If our political leaders really want to do the right thing, for both
sides of this issue, they first need to get a grip on reality.
Sometimes I wonder if they are smoking the product. It is ridiculous
to allow anyone to grow 99 plants, absolutely outrageous. I ask
those who sit on the Board of Supervisors, why can't we be like the
majority of the counties in this state, and just say "no" to those
who plan on continuing the downfall of this county over their greed!
With the exception of the few counties in the north, the rest
of the state puts extreme limits on pot operations.

Make these "compassionate" and caring advocates meet the same
guidelines as any business or project. First make these
"hippie-crits" get an environmental impact report for every grow
they plan. Require a waiver of their search and seizure rights, and
allow for full unannounced inspections by the Sheriff. Require
a building permit and inspections of the grow areas for safe wiring
and fire proofing from their kids room at least! Provide the exact
location of the grow, and any deviation of any of the above, it
reverts back to the penal code or health and safety code violation.
Which means you have to get our illustrious district attorney to
actually prosecute them.

I ask what legacy we are leaving for the future of this community?
Is this really what the majority of you want? Do you enjoy driving
by our city parks and feeling afraid to use them? Is the skunky odor
to your liking? If not, you better get on the phone, write
a letter, or let this publication know how you feel. I realize that
most of you work, and don't have the free time like the pot
advocates seem to. But, unless you speak out, tweak ole Pinchess'
and his compadres on the Board of Supervisors, and get some input
into this ordinance, we are going to be stuck with a liberal ordinance.

It's pretty sad commentary on a community, when most of the bill
boards as you enter town are either grow businesses or head shops.
Let's put a stop to the lies, call it what it is, legalized drug
trafficking on and over the backs of decent, honest, hard working taxpayers.

Either that or make Pot 101 part of the school curriculum.

David Oncale

Willits