Ann Landers
Reader says marijuana is bad news,
any way you smoke it
Dear Ann: I was interested in the letters from readers who
want to decriminalize marijuana.
How nice it would be, they said, if we would just make the
wacky weed legal. People would be free of tension and the
world would be a better place. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?
I am glad you didn't agree with them.
Studies show that marijuana is stronger than it used to be.
Even years ago, that "harmless" stuff helped transform a
lovely, witty, bright-spirited teenage family friend into a
manic-depressive, strung-out, frightened girl who wound up
not knowing who or where she was.
My ex-husband tried pot when he was 10 years old. The stuff
was given to him by his 12 year-old sister, no less. I
married the man 20 years after his first experience with
pot, believing him when he told me he would never touch it
again. I was wrong. I could never figure out why we never
had any money, even though we both worked. I found out the
answer when I caught him sniffing cocaine in the garage.
Soon after, when I discovered 15 marijuana plants growing in
our yard, I left him. I knew he'd rather give me up than
give up the stuff.
Don't tell the relatives of those who were killed by someone
driving under the influence of drugs that marijuana is
harmless. Don't tell the teachers whose lethargic students
are blowing their minds on the stuff and flunking out of
school that they will give it up when the novelty wears off.
Don't tell parents crying over their dead children who threw
their lives away on drugs that the dangers of pot have been
exaggerated.
Don't tell suicide hotline workers that their data is wrong
about most suicides being drug and alcohol related. Don't
tell those rock stars, actors and actresses who have gone to
rehab clinics to get that monkey off their backs that
marijuana is harmless. It is known that many who smoke pot
graduate to harder stuff like cocaine, speed and LSD.
My message to those who think marijuana is harmless is this:
get out from under the cloud you're in and wake up and smell
the coffee. I know this letter is too long to print but
hearing people say we should legalize pot makes me
boil.
JERSEY SHORE, PA.
Dear J.S.: Thank you for the voice
of truth. I am in favor of decriminalization (decreasing
penalties for possession) and medicinal use but not
legalization. I took that position years ago and have stayed
with it.
Gem of the Day: Virtues are
almost always learned at your mother's knee. Vices are
generally picked up at other joints.
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