Letters: Attorney general wrong about marijuana
Thirty states now regulate marijuana's therapeutic use, and eight states and Washington, D.C., authorize its use and sale to all adults. Here in Indiana, Gov. Eric Holcomb simply signed laws that for the primary time permits sufferers’ entry to cannabis-derived oils for these affected by intractable epilepsy.
Nonetheless, Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill continues to be making an attempt to mislead my fellow Hoosiers with fear-mongering and distorted information.
Contrary to Hill’s claims, statewide marijuana laws usually are not related to elevated marijuana use or entry by adolescents, antagonistic results on visitors security,elevated crime, or office absenteeism.
By distinction, regulating marijuana is related to much less opioid abuse, fewer opioid-related hospitalizations, and fewer opioid induced fatalities. Such outcomes have critical implications for Indiana, the place ER visits associated to opioids have spiked some 60 p.c.
Unlike Hill, most voters now acknowledge that the enforcement of marijuana prohibition financially burdens taxpayers, encroaches upon civil liberties, engenders disrespect for the regulation, and disproportionately impacts younger folks and communities of colour. It is unnecessary from a public well being perspective, a fiscal perspective, or an ethical perspective to perpetuate the prosecution and stigmatization of adults who select to responsibly devour a substance that's safer than both alcohol or tobacco.
Voters are bored with seeing over 600,000 of their fellow residents arrested yearly on marijuana fees. In Indiana alone, there have been 67,872 arrests for easy marijuana possession between the years 2008 to 2012.
A majority of Hoosiers help broad adjustments to our state’s insurance policies in the case of cannabis. 73% of Indiana voters now help a sturdy medical marijuana program and 52% help outright legalization.
Furthermore, when offered with the easy query ‘should we tax marijuana like alcohol/cigarettes’ help rises to 78%.
Of course, reform our state’s marijuana insurance policies doesn't imply changing criminalization with a marijuana free-for-all. Rather, it means the enactment of a realistic regulatory framework that permits for the licensed industrial manufacturing and retail sale of marijuana to adults, but in addition restricts and discourages its use amongst younger folks. Such a regulated surroundings finest reduces the dangers related to the plant’s use or abuse.
By distinction, advocating marijuana’s continued criminalization does nothing to offset the plant’s potential dangers to the person consumer and to society; it solely compounds them.
It’s simple for Attorney General Hill to opine for sustaining the established order - carry on arresting marijuana customers and spending our tax to jail in any other case regulation abiding residents. It justifies the finances and wage for a lot of in his division. Yet as an increasing number of states notice the the advantages of ending prohibition and adopting sane public coverage, an increasing number of Hoosiers will acknowledge the drawback of being caught in the dead of night ages.
Indiana’s legal guidelines will replicate this finally - let’s cease arresting our neighbors within the meantime.
Steve Dillon
Chairman of the Board, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)
Republicans put celebration forward of nation
Vice President Mike Pence has repeatedly stated that he's a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order. I'm wondering the place he locations "American" in his listing of priorities? Other Republicans have expressed comparable sentiments and their collective silence and resistance to the details surrounding the president's ties to Russia and his admitted determination to fireside the pinnacle of the FBI as a result of he would not cease the investigation of those issues verify that Republicans do place their ideology and their political celebration forward of this nation. If you want any extra proof of this, simply suppose again to once they impeached President Clinton for mendacity about a sexual affair. Ask your self what they'd have accomplished to President Obama if he had accomplished a single inappropriate factor.
It's dangerous sufficient that Republicans' disdain for the Constitution and our democratic beliefs has resulted within the suppression of hundreds and hundreds of voters and gerrymandered majorities in most states and within the House of Representatives however supporting the possibly treasonous habits of the Trump administration in favor of Russia and its totalitarian murderous dictator is past comprehension and manner beneath the depth I ever thought it doable for them to sink.
James Clark
Indianapolis
Trump not an ally of Catholics
As members of the Indianapolis chapter of Pax Christi, a Catholic group that works for peace and justice in additional than 50 nations, we disagree strongly with Vice President Mike Pence’s declare, quoted in IndyStar’s June sixth article, that “Catholics have an ally in President Trump.”
In help of that declare, the vp stated, “President Donald Trump stands with essentially the most susceptible — the aged, the infirm and the unborn."
The president’s document, even after only a few months in workplace, immediately contradicts that assertion. As Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA lately stated, President Trump’s proposed finances contains “disastrous” and “cruel” cuts to anti-poverty applications akin to SNAP, Medicaid and jobs coaching. If enacted, these cuts will damage thousands and thousands of susceptible people and households, together with hundreds of households right here in Indiana.
The president’s deliberate blows to the poor and the struggling are coupled together with his intention to take away healthcare protection for thousands and thousands, his destabilizing remarks that elevate violence and aggression as a core international coverage, and his reckless demonization of our immigrant neighbors.
All of those approaches by the president are diametrically against the message of the Gospels and Catholic social instructing. They additionally run opposite to the robust requires compassion and justice issued by Pope Francis, our Bishops, and our many clergy and lay leaders.
President Trump just isn't an ally to the least of our brothers and sisters, and he's not an ally to the thousands and thousands throughout the globe who're working for a extra peaceable and simply world. Therefore, he's not an ally to Catholics.
Susan Blackwell
Terri Morris Downs
Rosalie and Stephen Kramer
Sr. Norma Rocklage
JoAnne Lingle
Fran Quigley
Mary Ann Verkamp
Karen Burkhart
Indianapolis chapter, Pax Christi
Weapons value greater than PBS
In response to David Taylor's letter, agreeing with George Will that $240 million is an excessive amount of to spend to fund PBS for a yr, a Kestrel helicopter runs $241 million, a Poseidon plane is $290 million, and a Globemaster airplane prices $328 million. The concern is about the path of our nation's priorities.
J.J. Paul
Indianapolis
Find higher use for PBS funding
I labored in broadcasting in Buffalo, N.Y., for 15 years. When we have to borrow tools for a distant broadcast, we'd borrow the tools from the native PBS station. They all the time had the latest and finest tools, typically instances nonetheless within the bins and crates through which they got here. They could not spend all the cash given to them annually, so that they always purchased new tools in order that their budgeted allotment could be the identical or extra the following yr. Yes, George Will is correct. The cash used to fund PBS may and may have higher utilization within the federal finances.
Annie Darragh
Indianapolis
Letters: Attorney general wrong about marijuana
Comments
Post a Comment