THE BENEFITS OF POT CLUBS

Dear editor, Regarding the article on the front page of the Register,
March 18: "Medical pot advocates attack city proposal" let me assuage
the mayor's concern that Napa might become the focus of Bay Area
residents seeking medical marijuana.

Here's a partial listing of nearby dispensaries: San Francisco, San
Mateo, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Richmond, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Contra
Costa, Hayward and Modesto. Why would you go out of your way to come
here unless it was for the wine?

Marijuana is not a lethal drug; it is a mild euphoriant. Be concerned
about what's in medicine cabinets; that's where the abuse begins.
Oxycodone, also known as hillbilly heroine, Vicodin, diet pills --
these are easily accessible and will kill you.

Do liquor stores have special zoning? Liquor kills thousands of
people every year. What about drug stores?

Nobody has ever died from smoking too much pot. People have died
because of cannabis, but they were killed by drug cartels or the Drug
Enforcement Administration.

How does the planning commission decide who gets this dispensary
license? If it's anything less than a lottery, we will all wonder who
paid whom to receive this little moneymaker.

If you want to keep people from St. Helena or Calistoga from visiting
the dispensary, talk to their city council members. Don't forget,
these tax dollars add up. Napans could benefit.

Jim Hilsabeck Napa