Why Are Not More Medical Doctors In Favor Of Cannabis Like This One?

[greenbuddha]

 

US HI: PUB LTE: Legalize It

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URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n113/a04.html

Newshawk: Matthew Rifkin

Votes: 1

Pubdate: Sat, 19 Feb 2011

Source: Garden Island (Lihue, HI)

Copyright: 2011 The Garden Island

Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/Fyr3Cplk

Website: http://thegardenisland.com/

Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/964

Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n000/a007.html

Author: Gordon LaBedz

 

<P class=clipping>LEGALIZE IT

 

As a family physician, I can tell you that the overwhelming majority of people who drink alcohol and use drugs for medicine and recreation cause no harm to themselves or society. The small proportion of those that abuse drugs and alcohol, should be seen as patients, not as criminals.

 

If anyone has any doubt as to why this country continues the costly "war" on drugs, look no further than the front page of The Garden Island, Feb. 16.

 

Why do police and DAs advocate for the drug "war?" There is a large infrastructure of people, mainly in the government, who make their living because drugs are illegal.

 

It is not just the local pot growers and the Mexican drug lords who want the high prices that drug illegality provides for them. It is also the police and DAs who want to go after "moral crimes" instead of violent crimes and crimes against property.

 

If illegal drugs were made OK, we could lay off policemen, helicopter pilots, prison guards, district attorneys, public defenders, mandatory "treatment" programs and all sorts of folks who make their living fighting the so-called drug war.

 

Our island people suffer most from crimes caused by repeat thieves, violent offenders and family abusers. They are far more dangerous than people who smoke pot.

 

It would be a blessing to our island if pot were legal and Prosecuting Attorney Shaylene Carvalho and Keith Kamita, deputy director of law enforcement, could spend their time and attention to protecting us from real crimes.

 

Gordon LaBedz, MD, Kekaha

MAP posted-by: Richard Lake