To the editor,
Our nation and state budgets are busting, and “occupy Wall Street” protests bring to light the Democratic and Republican support for Wall Street Banks. The banks get bailed out and the 99 percent of people get sold out.
In 2010 our Minnesota law enforcement arrested 11,361 people for marijuana possession, that is about 65 percent of Minnesota drug arrests. At what cost to local and state budgets do we make people criminals for use of a plant with legitimate medical uses, and used for adult recreation can not kill you with any size overdose? Last year over 900,000 Americans had a marijuana arrest, so our failed trillion dollar war on drugs should get reexamined, right? Insanity is doing same thing over and over with hope for a different outcome. Cannabis prohibition has failed, more funding of it is just nuts!
Follow the money and you often find big problems, with Wall Street banks as well as our “War On Drugs.” Mostly unregulated Wall Street banks launder billions of Mexico drug gang money and no jail time. Same banks robo sign bad loans and crash economy and no jail time. Cannabis prohibition supports organized crime costing over 40,000 dead in Mexico in past 7 years and over 500 of those were police.
A medical marijuana law was passed in Minnesota and Tim Pawlenty did a veto. He had support of Minnesota police unions. I recall when same police unions said if Minnesota passed a "shall issue" gun permit law that Minnesota would become the wild west. I agree with past Republican House Speaker Steve Sviggum who supported and said about medical marijuana; "... keep governments nose out from between a doctor and patient..."
It is time the 99 percent of people rethink some of the baloney we have been fed by the government, which we know is bought and paid for by Wall Street bankers. I worked as a registered nurse and support an end to cannabis prohibition and replace the drug war criminal system in place now with a public heath model and tax/regulate cannabis as we do more deadly cigs and alcohol. Now in Washington a bill (HB 2306) to end federal cannabis prohibition is having all hearings blocked by "less regulation" Republicans and our local Congressman (Collin) Peterson. What are they afraid of by holding hearings, the truth? Ending prohibition has other benefits such as farming hemp for fuel, fiber and to replace oil based plastics all making more jobs, and increasing government income and shrinking government spending. A win-win.
Roy Sandstrom
Williams, MN
