LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

I have been reading with interest the many stories about the "Meth" epidemic in our state.

Meth is a devastating drug that consumes it users' lives, ravages
their bodies and endangers the community. The reason that meth has
become so popular is because it only stays in your system for 72 hours
thus diminishing the risk of failing a urine test. Whereas the natural
non-addictive herb marijuana, can be detected for up to 45 days.

People can cook up a brew of toxic chemicals quicker and more covertly
than they can tend to a garden of beautiful healthy herbs.

When will our society realize that the more we criminalize marijuana
the greater the likelihood of harder drugs being introduced to the
market becomes?

Humankind has always sought to alter its' state of consciousness. It
is natural to want to do so and no matter how many prohibition laws
are passed, that will never change.

Marijuana prohibition has consistently led to an increase in hard drug
use and addiction, both here in the U.S. and in the many countries
around the world to which the American drug war has been forcibly exported.

Many developing nations found themselves without the economic power
needed to preserve their native culture.

Before Richard Nixon paid $50 million to the King of Nepal to make
marijuana illegal there were no heroin junkies in Nepal. Now the
streets are filled with them.

The drug war has consistently failed for 30 years.

Using the same tactics to battle the meth epidemic guarantees
failure.

It is time to try a new approach.

Make marijuana legal and you diminish the meth problem.

Loretta Nall

President, Alabama Marijuana Party

Alexander City