Crawford takes reasoned approach to marijuana
Dear Editor:
I first wish to thank the Crawford Town Council and our mayor, Susie Steckel. This council is addressing the marijuana issue head on . . . how will prohibition or regulation affect our community?
At times the discussions become heated in nature (it IS marijuana in Delta County), but I am extremely impressed by how thoroughly our mayor and our council are exploring this issue. The last work session closed with Mayor Steckel requesting a list of questions from each council member that the council can compile and submit to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
The DEA stated in an e-mail to our town clerk that marijuana has "no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States." Wow. Well now I have some questions for the DEA.
1. The American Medical Association has been opposed to the federal government's stance on marijuana since 1937. As the organization that licenses medical experts refuses to support the DEA's position on marijuana, who exactly is the DEA citing as its "medical" expert? Mr. Plumber?
2. The United States is currently operating the federal investigational new drug program, which provides government marijuana to a number of medical patients in this country. Some patients receive 300 federally grown and rolled marijuana joints each month. How can the DEA say that marijuana provides no "accepted medical use" when their own federal co-workers are treating medical patients with marijuana?
3. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of synthetic THC in 1993. So, officially, the DEA recognizes the medicinal value of THC, but only when the patient pays for the chemical equivalent in pill form, and not the natural substance they can grow organically, in their own home?
4. The three largest funders for the National Center on Drug Control Policy are tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceutical companies, the big three legal drugs. These drug companies kill almost three-quarters of a million Americans each year, yet their slogan is "Say No to Drugs." The DEA's operational plan is dictated by capitalist hypocrites. How can we take the DEA's statements on marijuana seriously?
I could not compile six questions for the DEA. I realize they will not have rational answers because they do not understand the questions.
I commend this council, and our mayor, for the diligence they are showing in addressing this issue. We, as residents, owe a tremendous debt to this council. We have invested in property here, but we have a chance to have outside customers pay for our infrastructure (drainage, flood control, street paving, painted lanes on the paved streets, HOV lanes, lighting, even town Christmas decorations . . . none of it paid for by an increase in our property taxes).
If any of you see a council member, or our mayor, please take the time to thank them for their hard work. We are most fortunate, as voting Americans, that these are the people who represent us.
Jay C. Ziegler
Crawford