A differing view, November 29

Jack Woehr

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Marijuana laws unjust, harmful and absurd

The Rocky Mountain News editorial, "Regulating caregivers/State should closely monitor those who assist medical pot patients" (Nov. 26) is neatly logical within its narrow conception. But what really is the matter under discussion?

What's under discussion, my friends, is a body of laws regulating the personal use of a long-established North American plant, laws which:

* were passed in a mood of anti-black hysteria in the 1930s;

* are unjust and do the most harm to the weakest;

* are, were, and will remain unconstitutional;

* benefit only big government and organized crime.

The Rocky's own editorial page has from time to time in the past acknowledged the unmitigated insanity of the current marijuana laws. Why then waste ink on textual legal analysis on one solitary aspect of this battle for basic human rights?

Calling for the dismissal of all public officials whose hands have been dirtied by their contact with the marijuana laws would be more consistent with prior positions.

* What do you think? Go to RockyMountain News.com/opinion to join the conversation about this issue.

Jack Woehr is a resident of Golden.

• November 29, 2007

  3:11 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Spencer writes:

  Is this a case of the RMN writing a rebuttal to their own editorial?

• November 29, 2007

  11:58 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  jackwoehr writes:

  Nah, just a web error. It was correctly attributed in the print edition.

• November 30, 2007

  12:08 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Jack_Ryan writes:

  * are, were, and will remain unconstitutional?

  Exactly how is it unconstitutional? What's your proof. People can't just through the "unconstitutional card" out there without offering proof.

  The Supreme Court has already ruled that it is not unconstitutional to regulate medicinal marijuana in Gonzales v. Raich, 2005. A 6-3 decision written by Justice Stevens. A ruling that was based on the Tenth Amendment Commerce Clause.

• November 30, 2007

  12:31 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  RickyLee writes:

  Lets see...tobacco KILLS 430,000 people a year in the USA.

  Pot kills.....nobody.

  What's behind this?
  Oh, yeah, the almighty buck. This is how our goverment thinks...
  money is more important than the lives of over four hundred thousand people EVERY YEAR.

• November 30, 2007

  12:59 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Earl writes:

  wait a minute here rickylee, pot has to fall under the second hand smoke issue, as you do smoke it and all but one very famous person inhale it. did you study to find out how many pot smokers are also using toabcco? could be some of the dead you proclaim could also be pot smokers so now we need a new study on this issue.

  the almighty all knowing government morons who wont allow pot to be sold and taxed legally are just not up to speed with the amount of money would flow in from legal pot sales.

• November 30, 2007

  1:57 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Spencer writes:

  does smoking pot cause cancer? (I really don't know)

• November 30, 2007

  3:06 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Charles_B writes:

  Spencer, the jury is out, mainly because of a lack of long-term data:

  http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/mar...

  http://www.straightdope.com/classics/...

  Or to really get into the details:

  http://www.ukcia.org/research/Effects...