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April 19, 2005
Letter to the Editor: Regulated cannabis would benefit society
Newshawk: Is My Medicine Legal YET? www.immly.org
Source: Capital Times
Pubdate: April 19, 2005
Author: Gary Storck
Letter to the Editor:
REGULATED CANNABIS WOULD BENEFIT SOCIETY
Having just returned from the annual conference of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in the most cannabis friendly city in the United States - San Francisco - I found a bit of irony in reading about allegations of cannabis smoking in a back room at BJ's Roadside Inn in Dunn.
Cannabis, not a drug but an herb, has long been utilized as a substitute for alcohol and other widely used addictive substances. The Netherlands has tolerated cannabis possession, sales and consumption in coffee shops since 1976. Last November, by a 65 percent margin, voters in Oakland, Calif., passed Measure Z, a local initiative supporting taxed and regulated sales of cannabis at licensed outlets in the city, and its implementation is being explored.
Back here in Wisconsin, each day brings more sad stories of alcohol-induced mayhem: sexual assaults, car crashes, hit and runs, fights, etc. It is counterproductive to society as a whole to arrest people for offering a safer alternative to alcohol and other drugs.
Regulated cannabis offers the opportunity to make Dane County a safer place while providing tax revenues to fund social services and other programs. In addition, it would make access easier for medical users while keeping it out of the hands of children. Rather than spend the $10,400 NORML says it costs for each marijuana arrest, isn't it time to think outside the box?
Gary Storck
Madison
Posted by Gary at April 19, 2005 09:53 AM
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