Pubdate: Sat, 03 Oct 2015
Source: East Oregonian (Pendleton, OR)
Copyright: 2015 The East Oregonian
Contact:  http://www.eastoregonian.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3903
Author: Patrick J. Delaney

MARIJUANA IS HERE, DESPITE COUNTY BANS

I see that the small-minded, hopelessly out of touch people calling 
the shots in Umatilla and Morrow counties have done everything 
possible to prevent "reefer madness" from infecting our community. 
Thursday was the first day that it was legal to buy and sell 
marijuana in Oregon for recreational purposes. But our leaders have 
done everything they can to make sure this scourge does not reach us, 
especially our children.

The first problem is that they are about 50 years late. When I was in 
high school in Hermiston in the late 1960s, kids were smoking dope. 
The second problem is that while they think they are protecting the 
people they represent, the opposite is actually true. Pot is out 
there, they just want to keep it something that's sold by the more 
unsavory members of our society rather than by people who are subject 
to state licensing rules and regulations.

Finally, they are wasting taxpayer money. They certainly wasted the 
money of this taxpayer by forcing him to go to Ellensburg, Wash,. to 
buy my monthly supply rather than give me the opportunity to shop 
locally. More importantly, they are missing out on the tax revenue 
legal marijuana sales would generate.

While on my road trip I saw many people purchasing cigarettes and 
beer with no problem. The hypocrisy of how we treat alcohol, tobacco 
and marijuana is staggering.

I'm begging for anyone out there who disagrees with me to weigh in. I 
haven't even scratched the surface of all the things that are wrong 
with this 21st century attempt at Prohibition.

Patrick J. Delaney

Hermiston
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom