MARIJUANA EDITORIAL

To the editor: If you want to advocate against the passage of the proposed
marijuana decriminalization ballot initiative, I would hope that you could
show that its passage would create the great "risks that society might
incur" rather than just saying so. Saying so doesn't make it so.

Rather, it seems that the greatest risk posed to society by my sitting at
home and puffing on a marijuana cigarette is the government's costs
associated with my potential arrest, prosecution and incarceration for doing
so. There would also be the residual costs insofar as a criminal conviction
may decrease my ability to go to college, obtain or maintain some
employment, and decrease my ability to make money and pay taxes on my
earnings.

But if, as you state, the initiative does not permit children to possess
marijuana, or anyone to smoke it when operating a motor vehicle or heavy
machinery, what then are the great risks that society might incur? Finally,
I haven't read your editorial calling for the downscheduling of marijuana by
the federal government so that it may be prescribed by my family physician.

If you are really interested in seeing that, as I am, why don't you write an
editorial and say so?

Thomas J. Hillgardner
Fairbanks