MEDICAL MARIJUANA SUPPORTERS HAD THEIR CHANCE AND BLEW IT

The Aug. 27 guest opinion article "Voters Should Have Say on Medical
Marijuana" by Sarah Baugh commands a response.

The medical marijuana voters had their say in 2004 and they really
blew it, and now they want another chance to deceive Montanans! I was
not a Montana resident then, or I would have certainly voted against
it. The law was so ambiguous and open-ended that it was doomed for
failure from the beginning.

As soon as the feds said they would not enforce federal drug laws
regarding medical marijuana, that opened the floodgates for much more
and tremendous abuse.

Thank God a few legislators saw the reality of the situation and were
determined to do something to stop this scourge.

Based on what I have seen, Colorado is probably the only state that is
doing the medical marijuana thing the right way. They set up adequate
enforcement mechanisms with the needed personnel and equipment to
totally monitor and control the medical marijuana industry. Since they
have a sales tax, the income plus license fees, etc. will pay for the
new bureaucracy with no extra burden on the taxpayers.

Unless Montana somehow emulates Colorado's law and systems, medical
marijuana will never work in Montana. I'm all for truly needy people
having access to medical marijuana, but it must be totally controlled
and self funded.

Hale Thomas

Bozeman