PRIVATELY GROWING MARIJUANA SHOULD BE PROTECTED

Editor,

Regarding the Jan. 15 "Wasatch Rambler" column by Charles Trentelman,
"An officer dies fighting drugs, a judge consoles a drug dealer."
Under the rule of law, the private growing of marijuana would be
constitutionally protected and this gun battle would have never occurred.

The police invaded Matthew David Stewart's house with a search
warrant for his production of a controlled substance, marijuana,
alleged for personal medicinal use. I have claimed that criminalizing
marijuana because it has no medicinal use is an unreasonable and
unnecessary regulation of our individual fundamental rights to
liberty, to property and to privacy and contravenes the 4th, 5th and
14th Amendments of the Constitution of the United States. www.ursm.us

Due process of law requires the deprivation of fundamental rights be
justified by a compelling state interest to protect public safety.
The private cultivation and use of marijuana does no threaten the
rights of others. There was no victim of this crime.

Dr. Dewey C. MacKay's actions involved the public.

Michael J. Dee

Windham, Maine