DONNELLY COLUMN MISSED THE POINT

In her Feb. 25 opinion column, "Legislators right to just say no to
pot," former Clark County Republican leader Ann Donnelly argues that
studies linking adolescent marijuana use with increased risk for
developing schizophrenia justify keeping marijuana illegal.

Earth to Donnelly: Any serious marijuana decriminalization would
still make pot -- like booze -- illegal for minors. The rationale is
that children are too immature to decide for themselves the risks
of using inebriants, and should be legally prohibited from doing
so. That makes sense. But current marijuana laws prevent even adults
from deciding for themselves the risks of using pot without facing
the added hazard of legal punishment.

As a general principle, Republicans believe that adults are capable
of deciding how to run their own lives, and should be free to do so,
free from government interference.

That shared belief motivates Republican opposition to seemingly
small regulatory excesses -- like banning smoking in bars and
restaurants -- as well as important ones like government-controlled
health care.

Yet Donnelly -- and many other Republicans -- think that when it
comes to marijuana, adults must be treated like children. They
justify this using the same rationalization of "societal risk" from
individual decisions that leftists exploit for their favored
governmental intrusions.

These Republicans should really grow up.

John Burke

Vancouver