MONEY IS BEHIND REASON NOT TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

Editor, the Tribune:

Scott Holste, spokesman for Attorney General Jay Nixon, is absolutely right
about the many challenges that would be faced by a proposed Columbia
ordinance that seeks to legalize marijuana for medicinal use and make
possession of small amounts of marijuana a municipal offense. The goal of a
"drug free" America that politicians in Washington claim to be working
toward applies only to certain drugs. Specifically, natural drugs that
cannot be patented by the pharmaceutical industry, one of Washington's most
powerful lobbies.

New lifestyle drugs are routinely granted approval by the Food and Drug
Administration, while marijuana, which has been used medicinally for
thousands of years, allegedly requires further research. Despite a
relatively brief period on the market, the blatantly recreational drug
Viagra has already killed more people than marijuana, a relatively harmless
plant that has never been shown to cause an overdose death.

By raiding California's voter-approved medical marijuana clubs, the very
same federal government that claims illicit drug use helps fund terrorism
is forcing cancer and AIDS patients into the hands of street dealers.
Apparently, marijuana prohibition is more important than protecting the
country from terrorism. Meanwhile, children as young as 2 are routinely
prescribed Ritalin, a prescription amphetamine similar to cocaine in
effect. So much for protecting children from drugs. One need only follow
the money trail to find out why a given policy exists.

Robert Sharpe