HARD TO BELIEVE

I find some of the comments being made about decriminalizing marijuana hard
to believe.

First, I don't understand why the public sees such a huge difference
between alcohol and marijuana. Alcohol has negative health side-effects (as
does tobacco smoke). Many crimes are committed while under the influence of
alcohol. Many individuals become violent or destructive under alcohol's
influence or become addicted. Alcohol can cause death (which is highly
unlikely with marijuana use), yet it is used publicly and legally. The
decriminalization of marijuana would only allow for private, in-home,
personal use, which would likely lead to an intense video game session, a
nap or snacking.

Second (take it from a "young person"), eliminating the threat of a
criminal record is not going to make "young people" more apt to start
smoking marijuana. Marijuana use is highly common in junior high and high
schools, and making the habit less taboo may prevent some rebellious
teenagers from starting. I do, however, agree that a 15-gram limit is too
high for personal use. The limit should be more like five to seven grams.

Last, it seems our government is so opposed to making marijuana legal
mainly because it would take years to control and tax the market, as it
does with tobacco. There are far too many outlets now for users to obtain
it, giving the government no firm hold on the revenue that it could create.

Laura Kendall,

artmouth