WAR ON POT COUNTERPRODUCTIVE

My Turn

Two weeks ago, another forward-thinking state (Maryland), followed the suit
of several other forward-thinking states and passed a bill authorizing
marijuana to be used for medical purposes. This is a great victory for the
sick people of this country who are still being persecuted under the
nation's outdated and ineffective drug laws. I think we all know that the
only thing keeping the "war on drugs" going are the politicians who like to
scare people into re-electing them. It is sad that patients had to become a
casualty of this war, right along with the youngsters who are given a
scarlet letter for harmless experimentation that is generally outgrown.

What I want to know is, when will Alabama catch up and realize that
marijuana is a useful medicine (hmmm, probably not as harmful as the LEGAL
drug Oxycontin) and is even relatively harmless compared to our favorite
legal drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco. Very few people take a drag and commence
beating up everyone in sight, or run their car off a bridge for that
matter. For those of you in the know, I suppose I'm preaching to the choir.
For those who have never partaken, it's not exactly the scourge of society.

I can't believe Alabama's prison overcrowding has reached such a sad state
of affairs that they will start releasing violent criminals faster. This
problem is caused by the huge influx of harmless marijuana possession
crimes. As we speak, unsolved rape "cold cases" sit in a file drawer
somewhere, but Shelby County wants $360,000 because marijuana possession
arrests were up 10 percent from last year. What's wrong with this picture:
sacrificing precious tax dollars to burn plants while victims of violent
crimes cry for justice.

My point is, I suppose, that the people of our great state are grossly
misinformed by the policy makers about the harmfulness of marijuana,
especially when used in a medical context. Please take action and contact
your governmental representatives about this issue.

Jeremiah Gilbreath is a resident of Glencoe.