'SOCIETY' VS. THE PLANT: THE CANNABIS CONUNDRUM

George W. Bush is the worst ... OOPS, sorry. Wrong rant. Senior minute.

What I really want to respond to is the series of letters and the
Times-Standard editorial that have been published since the
Supervisor's historic vote on Aug. 21 to send a letter to U.S.
Representative Mike Thompson asking for a reappraisal of current laws
against cannabis (marijuana) cultivation and use. The 4-0 vote, with
Supervisor Smith abstaining, reflects a similar action taken by
Mendocino County.

The comments have not been laudatory as we read on Sept. 4 with the
letter "Stony reception by supervisors" and the "My Word" essay
"Marijuana: Benign herb or a dangerous drug?" on Sept. 5. The
Times-Standard was critical as well, suggesting that marijuana stay
in the realm of prescriptive medicine.

In regard to the letter of Sept. 4, I attended the Board of
Supervisors meeting (Aug. 21) and made my own public comment thanking
Supervisor Rodoni for his courage and leadership. I'm saddened that
Supervisor Smith, despite his work with cancer survivors, skipped the
vote and missed the boat. I thank the others for their brave support.

I stood behind the complainant (Stony ... Sept. 4) waiting for my
turn and the Board was in no way disrespectful of him. Nobody in that
chamber was disrespectful of him or anyone else exercising their
right to petition their government for a redress of grievances. The
Supervisor's remained stoic and impassive through everybody's
testimony, including mine. Yeah, I would have liked a wink, a nod, or
a thumbs-up as well, but no dice. Another failed attempt at demagoguery.

The complainant suggested that cannabis could never be accurately
regulated, weighed, sold, or taxed liked every other commodity on
earth. I guess that's why so many scales, bags, and calculators are
sitting in evidence lockers around the nation. Another example of
marijuana causing irrational thought in those who don't use it!

It's easy to explain away every case of personal or family collapse
on the "drugs" or the "booze." Which came first, the dysfunction or
the drugs? People receiving psychotherapy already have emotional
issues. Nonetheless, if professionals like Ms. Thomas (Sept. 5)
perceive problems with clients, then by all means, deal with it.
Publish your observations for peer review. I'll bet the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws would love to
participate in that review process. Have your methodology down pat.
Control for pre-existing conditions and other drug use, legal or not.

I am surprised that an experienced therapist would confuse
psychiatric issues with purely legal ones:

1. Nobody wants to be hassled by TSA at the airport and have their
medicine confiscated.

2. If skilled, educated people cannot obtain employment because of an
abhorrent, detestable urine test, that is an indictment against
society, not the individual. A cruel practice and what a loss to the economy.

The truth is millions of decent, responsible adults consume cannabis
on a periodic basis and do just fine. That is, until they are forced
to urinate into a bottle and lose their job. Cannabis, in the absence
of other drugs, remains one of the most benign intoxicants,
sacraments, or medicines available. Nobody would encourage impaired
driving of any kind but marijuana alone does not produce the
zombie-like state so common among problem drinkers. If cannabis was
the national intoxicant of choice, catastrophic road accidents would
diminish dramatically. Worried about professional drivers and pilots?
C. Crane Co. in sunny, friendly Fortuna offers the "Lightning
Reaction Extreme Game" (#LRE) for $30.00. This machine could be
modified to provide a quick, simple test of reaction time that a
driver could perform every day right before work. This would weed out
(OOPS) anyone who is impaired that day from alcohol, other drugs,
lack of sleep, problems at home, or undiagnosed diseases. If there
are chronic fitness issues, you're out of a job.

But no, the Times-Standard thinks we should just stay in the medical
prescriptive mode of cannabis control. That's not going to help
people like my friend, local civic leader, and all around good guy
who is doing ten years of hard time in Oregon. If he comes home
depressed and angry, his therapist will probably tell him it was the
marijuana and not the ten years in prison.

Newsflash: If your garden is big enough to get crop circles, it's
probably too big.