Thank you for your email expressing your support for a move to change our laws to legalize recreational marijuana use.
You have obviously given the issue some thought, and I respect your opinion While a number of people share your point of view on the issue, I come from a different perspective and believe this will ultimately result in creating more harmful effects on our society. For me, it comes down to a safety issue, and any benefits we might see, such as increased tax revenues, restricting its use to those over 21 years of age, (although I believe alcohol has shown that’s nearly impossible to accomplish) or reductions in spending, would be offset by the likelihood of an increase in accidents and diminished productivity both in the workplace, at home, and possibly behind the wheel.
Additionally, as a former probation officer, I repeatedly saw the life-altering mistakes made as consequence of drug abuse and the overall affects it has had on our culture, i.e., broken families, lost wages, lost productivity for business, and in the worst cases untimely death. All too often these folks admitted it had started with recreational drug use. From my experience, it’s just a gamble I’m not willing to take.
That said, while we do not share similar views on this, I appreciate you offering your suggestions and invite you to contact me whenever you have concerns on any of the issues before us.
Sincerely,
Senator Alan Sanborn
11th District
He also does not tell you. That if it was legal to begin with about 90% of those destroyed lives would have never went that way! Why do we keep putting rich morons in office is beyond me. He says its a gamble he is not willing to take? Your position sir is A GAMBLE that you will not make for me or my family This ridiculus waste needs to stop. Funny that places where drugs are legal and controlled. Don’t have drug problems. On top of that their crime rates are not even half ours. Keep getting those payments from your local lobbiest and millions will continue to die! Marshall Friend
His whole letter can be debunked just like we have heard Russ do it a million times. Its not like people would just start using pot. It has been in use by millions of people all over the country. He says that there will be an increase in work related accidents and loss production. If that is true then we should make alcohol illegal to because people get behind the wheel and drive and go to work drunk as a skunk also. We already tried that and it was an utter failure just like the war on cannabis is now. He also said that he has seen people lives and families ripped apart because of the use of drugs. Note how he didn’t specifically say cannabis. I have a theory why their lives are shattered. Maybe it is because it is illegal to use drugs not the actual drug itself causing the damage.
I didn’t see him refer to prescription meds as a problem. I know that most kids have easier access to those than pot. I see so many politicians claiming pot to be a gateway drug to heroin, I can tell you now I have seen people go from prescription pain medication over to heroin. I am not sure that someone who tries pot is going to jump right to the horse. But the real issue at hand is freedom of choice. If pot is so harmful then it should be my right to ingest what I wish. We know pot isn’t completely safe but neither is alcohol, or tobacco, but I can buy both at will 24/7. Prescription medications are also available like candy and often prescribed as easy as candy, but those carry far more damage to the body than pot ever could. I say that now, but if you put control of pot in the tobacco companies hands then we will have a new deadly pot, one full of new added chemicals. I think maybe pot for now should remain legal for patients to use, and those patients should be able to grow their own. Police and government should butt out and deal with bigger issues. Leave the sick alone. The sad part is they will do their damage, and get old and sick, and when their voice no longer holds weight they will see the err of their ways.
Absolutely respectfully! And…
Wow, he needs a change of pace in careers since he is destroying society by lockin up nonviolent people for some nontoxic plant. What about lives being destroyed by legal prescription speed. I guess it’s not an issue cause of money in someone’s pocket shuts people up. I would be more concerned about corruption and the harmful effects it has on society than worry about a plant.
It would seem that this guy is unaware of the fact that Cannabis is essentially nontoxic?
Its better than being threatened with caning or the death penalty for speaking your mind, as has been seen in the past.
Its respectful in that sense, however I still feel like its a snub. Sort of like, “I don’t agree with you so I will not hear your evidence.”
He seems to think that this whole thing is a matter of opinion, rather than a debate based on facts. I don’t care what his opinion is, he is flat out wrong in this matter. His position assumes that our society does not already feel the effects of cannabis use.
Let’s show this asshole how destructive prohibition can be – to his career.
More than 70% of all convicted felons admit they were breast-fed. Ah-ha! Over 20% say they were bottle-fed. Ah-ha again!! What more proof does one need that milk turns people into criminals.
Oh Man. He was a P.O!! The true representation of a swine in my opinion. The only destruction he saw from Marijuana was the destruction he inflicted on the families when he sent their loved ones to jail for smoking pot. Those people do not care at all and have a job with no oversight and no accountability. I’m on probation ans often argue with my P.O about her ignorance on the issue. Sometimes she brings in another P.O to agree with her opinion because she needs backup shoveling that crap out to someone who knows better. I had to quit weed so I could ruffle her feathers and counter her garbage. Russ, if there is ever a NORML debate in NY please hold it in Catskill NY, 20 miles south of Albany and please invite me and in return I’m going to invite her. I would love to debate her logic in the presence of everyday citizens and not on her turf for a change.
At least it’s not a form letter and is respectful of different POV’s. He states his position and why HE feels that way.
Now that we know where he stands and why he must know that we will do everything we can to have him removed from office, respectfully….
What a boob! Those affects are not caused by marijuana.