Pubdate: Fri, 07 Aug 2015
Source: Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA)
Copyright: 2015 The Press-Enterprise Company
Contact: http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/letters_form.html
Website: http://www.pe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/830
Author: Paul Heard
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n430/a03.html

POT PROHIBITION INEFFECTIVE

Re: "Protecting our kids from pot" [Opinion, July 31]: Aspiring 
congressman Paul Chabot makes some false claims about marijuana. I've 
done a lot of research on the subject, and there is quite a bit of 
sound evidence about the medical benefits of cannabis, and in some 
cases where conventional drug therapy was ineffective.

I'm also tired of hearing the old argument that today's pot is a lot 
more potent than "your daddy's pot." Back in the day, what was widely 
available was low grade commercial Mexican marijuana, but there also 
were extremely potent varieties imported from places, such as 
Thailand, Afghanistan and Hawaii, to name just a few that will hold 
their own are still sold along side today's top strains.

Being a father, I can relate with Chabot's concern for his children, 
but the reason most kids smoke pot is because of easy availability. 
Alcohol is legal and not easily available for the under-age. Dealers 
don't sell it, which is why teenagers have been known to stand 
outside liquor stores asking adults if they would buy beer for them. 
Of course, for this to work for marijuana, it would have to be 
inexpensive to take out the profit margin so dealers wouldn't risk 
their freedom for some pocket change. I saw a report on TV about how 
prices have fallen dramatically since marijuana was legalized for 
recreational use.

I, for one, think legalization is worth a try. We have to keep drugs 
out of the reach of children, and what's being done now is not 
working. Like any drug, marijuana is not completely harmless, but 
there have never been side effects reported, like with prescription 
drugs, such as heart attack, stroke, suicidal tendencies and even death.

Politicians don't like legalization. I think part of this stems from 
the fact that virtually no one today was around before marijuana 
prohibition, so they fear the worst.

Paul Heard

Moreno Valley
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