Pubdate: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 Source: Hawaii Tribune Herald (Hilo, HI) Copyright: 2007 Hawaii Tribune Herald Contact: http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/185 Author: Howard Bennett POT PROHIBITION DOOMED It's really too bad that the only way Gary Pangle can argue against Gloria's columns about the cannabis prohibition is to attack her personally. I, for one, am thrilled to see Gloria's cogent and oh-so-sane views on cannabis in my local paper. And I'm very proud of the Tribune-Herald for having the guts to print them. Personally, I don't like pot that much (it's not for me), but I cannot see one good reason to ban it when other, far more damaging drugs are perfectly legal. And when I look at the destruction pot prohibition has brought us (it's true: Green Harvest gave us ice), and at the megabucks being wasted on helicopters and cop-on-a-rope raids, I get really ticked off. Maybe the craziest part of this whole deal is the banning of industrial hemp -- a very useful product that would do very well on our abused and under-utilized former sugar cane fields -- because it has the unfortunate quality of looking like cannabis. In fact, I'm so mad about all this that I've vowed to never vote again for any politician who will not promise to try to end this stupid prohibition. Anyone else feel that way? Howard Bennett Laupahoehoe - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart