MARIJUANA'S USES

To the editor:

Should marijuana users really be given the same punishments as a rapist or
pedophiles? If you are going to try and criminalize marijuana again, don't
lack the research on the medicinal herb, Frank Murkowski!

I am appalled that the governor wants to put me in jail for five years,
because I have four ounces of herb. Personally, I get more impaired from
legal drugs such as coffee, alcohol and pharmaceuticals than I do from
marijuana.

However, let us step back from this so-called "drug" and see what products
can be made from the plant's stalks (hemp). I have split the uses into
these categories: Food, healing, toiletries, textile, household and
industrial. Below are a few products under each category.

Food: Hemp oil. It's high in essential fatty acids, and can be drizzled
over salad, pasta, hummus, and used for baking.

Healing: Aromatherapy, salve and nutritional healing.

Toiletries: Lipstick, sunscreen, soaps, hand and body lotions and shampoo.

Textile: Socks, shirts, shoes, tarps, wallets, jackets, bags, belts, and
napkins.

Household: Rugs/carpet, paint, shoe polish, webbing, cordage, candles,
crayons and laundry detergent.

Industrial: Pulp and paper, plaster, plastic, concrete, wood chips and
bio-diesel fuel.

When will the people realize we are running out of resources? When will we
adapt as humans and stop prosecuting others for using much more than a
medicinal herb? This renewable resource should be embraced, not criminalized!

William Connor

Fairbanks