Using marijuana may not be the right thing to do and its use may in fact turn out to be bad for us in ways we never imagined. Who knows what ills may befall us from indulging in marijuana. I can’t predict the future but I don’t believe any results good or bad will be universal. The evidence to date, if the lies told by our government are to be discounted, are that marijuana use does not seem to increase mortality and may even have some curative properties. I use marijuana knowing it may cause me harm and I’ll take my chances. If I start endangering people or causing offense, feel free and with my blessings make me stop. I have no desire to cause harm or offense to anyone. All I want is to live my life at peace with society.

But what is wrong, is for our elected officials to take away our right to make decisions about our own personal health and safety and our right to live our lives as we see fit. It doesn’t just affect marijuana users but people all across America who just want to live their lives in peace. Recent stories in the news have been about people cited and prosecuted for lemonade stands, home gardens, trapping rain water on your own land, smoking in your own house, selling or drinking raw milk, selling large sugary drinks and Michelle Obama with her Presidential Executive Authority has put all school children on a diet. I for one am outraged by the audacity of people in society to even think they should have that much control over anyone. We are supposed to be a free people, free to decide for ourselves how we want to live our lives. My personal use of marijuana certainly does not put me in as much risk as some other activities people regularly participate in. The alleged harm caused by marijuana to users and society has been grossly overstated and the motivation for the misinformation remains unclear. Even if the allegations of harm to the individual were true, it still would not justify taking away our freedom. Whatever reason our government has for continuing this war against fellow Americans, I see no justification for it. If there is something about marijuana use that harms society what is it?

Tolerance for diversity among people and their differing habits and customs is essential to maintaining freedom. We cannot limit someone elses freedom without limiting our own. In fact freedom is similar to love in that it only works when we give it to others even when they do things we may not like or approve of. If other people’s activities do not harm us or infringe on our freedom we should not prevent them. If those activities are offensive, or indecent, then public decency laws can be used to prevent public display. The use of prohibition as a tool to prevent unwanted activity only serves to drive that activity out of public view while harming our relationship with law enforcement and creating an illegal trade market and an increase in violent crime as the court system is no longer an option to settle business disputes. Also with any illegal market, regulating purchases as age appropriate becomes impossible.

I understand why people do not want their children exposed to drugs including alcohol. I believe marijuana should be regulated by age like alcohol. But to deny adults an option to alcohol that is safer and less harmful, not only to themselves but to society as well, only causes harm to society and diminishes our freedom.

Please call or write to your Congressman, Senator and President and tell them to restore our freedom.

http://house.gov/

http://www.senate.gov/

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Randy Johnson

itsmycountrytoo.org