Monday, February 24, 2014

Folks not high on legalized pot, not high on facts, logic either

My February 16th Daily Herald pro pot piece, 'One item left on state agenda: legalize pot', sure energized the anti-pot crowd. First, Terry Tallian huffed and puffed on how pot is so harmful we should consider giving it to Death Row inmates, allegedly, to hasten their demise. That gave me convulsive giggles I haven't experienced since...well never mind. I'm sure all 3,108 folks waiting to walk the Green Mile will be clambering to be the first to expire on pot instead of lethal injection, firing squad or gas. What is Terry Tallian smokin'?

Then Cheryle Ruceis weighed in with her claim  "Surprise, pot can be addictive, complete with physical withdrawal symptoms."   
That sure is a surprise, Cheryl. If you don't have first hand experience with it being addictive, with physical withdrawal symptoms, you are really not in any position to make that undocumented assertion. Untold thousands of folks kill themselves yearly imbibing too much alcohol and too much of the wrong foods. If they were ingesting pot instead they would not only be healthier, they'd be smiling more.

Both writers failed to learn from the folks who caused such damage to American society instituting Prohibition on a society in which alcohol consumption was embedded. It not only didn't work, it caused the most lawless period in American history as the "bad guys" got all the profits quenching Americans' thirst, while Uncle Sam spent endless billions trying to essentially put out a forest fire with a squirt gun. With roughly 40 million Americans smoking pot, it's nearly as embedded in our culture as alcohol was at the onset of prohibition. And just like with Prohibition, the "bad guys" are getting all the profits and we taxpayers are paying a fortune to put out another forest fire with another squirt gun.

Two states have turned on to reality and will reap endless millions with legalized pot. Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, needs to join Colorado and Washington at the 'head' of the legalized pot class. Maybe we can even change our state motto to 'Tune In, Turn On, Get Solvent.'

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