THE POT-ADDLED POPULATION NEEDS TO FACE LIFE

Amazing. Forty thousand legal users of marijuana in Redding. Half of
Redding's population. That means that 40,000 people are in so much
pain, so ill, or so stressed out they need marijuana to function.

Do these 40,000 people drive cars? It is not legal to drive when
under the influence of a mind-altering substance, so how do these
folks get around? Do we want people who are using marijuana to drive
our mountain roads, especially during bad weather?

Do these 40,000 work and pay taxes? How can they work while using a
mind-altering drug? We sure don't let people come to work when they
are drinking beer. They can't even work while smoking cigarettes, so
most of these folks must be on some sort of public assistance: SSI,
welfare, disability, food stamps, whatever. Remember it is the
working person who is paying for these programs. How much is coming
out of your check? I am losing about 30 percent; that sure would go a
long way toward retirement or paying off my house, etc.

What about the young children of people using this mild-altering drug
to cope with their lives? When you have young children you need to be
able to respond quickly many times a day to keep them safe. It is
well known that pot slows your mind down a great deal, so how can
someone take correct care of babies and young people while using this drug?

How can parents using this drug keep track of teens? I raised seven
teens. I know you had better be at the top of your game at all times,
or the teens are out of control and in trouble. If you're in La La
Land because your were using marijuana, how can you tell if your teen
is coming home drunk, stoned, smoking, or even coming home? I don't
think I could help my teens with their homework if I was smoking pot
and "relaxed."

I have heard for years that smoking pot is no different than have a
few drinks. But if a person should not drink and drive, if a person
should not drink and supervise their kids, and if a person is not
allowed to drink and go to work, then should people be allowed to
smoke pot and do these things?

If you are seriously ill, terminal, taking chemo, really unable to
function, then marijuana should be dispensed by a drugstore, same as
any other prescription drug used to help you. So many of the reasons
for the use of this mind-altering substance are an excuse for those
who just don't want to or can't cope with plain old life. Life is
hard. Life is difficult. It is supposed to be hard. Hard times are
what give you character. It makes you search for answers. It gives
you strength. There are very few "Rose Gardens." There is a lot of
hard work and a lot of wonderful blessings. It is just a matter of
how you look at it. In my grandmother's words, "Get off your duff and
help someone else, and you'll figure out your troubles are small
ones." Plant a garden, volunteer for Big Sisters or Big Brothers,
help animals at the pound, go to a nursing home and talk to a senior
- -- they have a lot to teach and share. Bake a pie, take the dog for a
long walk, clean your ho! use, kiss your children, do something,
anything, but look past yourself and about 39,800 of the people who
have a Proposition 215 card will no longer need or even want it.

And, if half of the people in this country weren't "relaxed" and in
La La Land, maybe this country might just get off its duff and fix
all the problems that it has. Just think what 95 percent of the
population engaged, aware, and working at fixing things might do.
That would be amazing. That was the way our country was 150 years
ago. Look what we did then.

Sharli Haines

French Gulch