A THOUGHT ON POT

I'd like to make a couple of short statements regarding Jackson City
Council members' decision to follow a federal mandate regarding
medical cannabis dispensaries in your city (City pot regs violate
federal law, council says, Wednesday, Aug. 29).

Sometimes it behooves us as citizens to stand up against the
improprieties perpetrated by the federal government. The entire
foundation of cannabis prohibition is based on the bigoted fantasies
of career bureaucrat Harry Anslinger, and instituted without
a shred of scientific evidence or medical support. Anslinger has
left us a policy fraud that has wreaked havoc across our nation.

So failed is this ill-founded prohibition that cannabis is now the
No. 1 agricultural commodity in our nation. Interesting to note as
well that two of our most harmful substances, alcohol and tobacco,
are not listed on the Controlled Substances Act.

Follow the feds as you will, but remember Galileo Galilei was
persecuted for proclaiming the earth was not the center of the universe.

Allan Erickson

Drug Policy Forum of Oregon