Editor, Times-Union: I felt the need to comment on David Kolbe’s opinion about the legalization of marijuana. For a former prosecutor and current attorney, it’s very courageous to hear him speak out on this polarizing issue. We need to support people that are taking a stand concerning this. Maybe then people will stop being afraid and start speaking for what’s right.
Marijuana has been labeled “the devil’s weed” for far too long. It’s been demonized somehow when its uses are endless. It’s also referred to as the “gateway drug,” but anyone who has used it knows this is false. Someone else’s opinion mentioned someone dying because of marijuana use; but it was actually cocaine induced. Yet again marijuana takes the blame for something it wasn’t responsible for.
I think marijuana should be used for medical purposes. This has been a proven track record in California since 1995 among other states. Sure, it’s a mind-altering drug, but what medicine isn’t?
If you take the pros and cons of medical marijuana, you’ll find that the pros clearly outweigh the cons tenfold. Making law-abiding citizens and patients into criminals when they are doing nothing but trying to improve the quality of life shows zero compassion. Not to mention the millions of dollars in tax revenue that would be created nationwide as well as jobs. Take marijuana, alcohol and tobacco – look at the long-term use. It doesn’t take a genius to see which two would cause the most harm. Have you ever heard of medical alcohol or tobacco? Neither have I and the reasons are obvious. And how many times a year do you hear about people dying from consuming marijuana? You don’t because it doesn’t happen.
We as American citizens need to speak out like Mr. Kolbe and take action to stop the prosecution of people who genuinely need medical marijuana and allow them the option of obtaining this medicine legally just like any other medication. If we do not do this we will continue to see a rise in synthetic drug use, abuse and addiction, which quite often leads to other “harder” street drugs, like meth, and will eventually end in imprisonment or death. Would that qualify as a “gateway drug”?
We all need to open our eyes on this issue and change the culture before it’s too late. We need to look at the facts pertaining to this issue rather than letting historical emotions cloud our thinking.
Jason Lewallen currently incarcerated at Miami Correctional Facility Bunker Hill
