POTHEADS ARE OUR FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS

I'm writing in response to Ronald Dyson's letter concerning medical
marijuana. I have to admit, when I voted in favor of medicinal
marijuana in 2004, I did so because I figured if someone wanted to go
to all that trouble to get licensed, then they should be able to enjoy
legal protections. I'm fine with the current law and the storefronts.
I believe that a mountain has been made of a molehill concerning the
medical marijuana. It's a parental responsibility to talk about drug
abuse with your kids, not the government's. Teenagers are just as
likely to experiment with marijuana as they were 10 years ago, except
now with a medical market they are not involved with gangs or engaging
in subsequent criminal behavior.

Furthermore, everyone needs to let go of their bias. We have been
discriminating against potheads, and the truth is that these are our
friends and families. Republicans would like to have us believe that
potheads are all scumbags who prey on your children. The truth is
these potheads are CPAs, construction workers, grandmothers, the
waiter who brings your dinner. They are normal, everyday people who
are using a plant to relieve chronic pain. The demographics of
marijuana cardholders show us that the distribution is about equal:
one-third in 20-year-olds, one-third in 40-year-olds, one-third in
70-year-olds. This means that marijuana cardholders come from all
walks of life and there is no legitimate reason to persecute them.
Those who cast stones should reconsider.

Marie Ferraro

Bozeman