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4A Daily News – Tuesday, July 30, 2013 Opinion The miasma of marijuana marketing DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 The Tehama county supervisors have directed staff to stiffen penalties for marijuana cultivation as local letter to the editor writer Alan Mills claims the marijuana cultivation is destroying both the environment and enjoyment of Rancho Tehama. This is due to the miasma created by Proposition 215 passed in 1996 to legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes in California. In practice the law allows just about anyone to legally use and possess small quantities of the drug with an easily acquired doctor's recommendation. Now other states, most particularly Washington and Colorado, have passed even more liberal laws permitting small quantities of marijuana possession for recreational purposes, but all struggle with how to market the drug legally. I took my first puff of the illicit weed over 40 years ago now, shortly after entering college. I can't say that it did me any good, but it certainly added a lot of laughter and inebriation to an otherwise intense and staid study of chemical engineering. I learned however that it was senseless to smoke weed before or during school and work, and reckless when driving or engaging in other activities requiring coordination and quick reflexes. I also learned that my regard of privacy and personal liberty was not shared by authorities, and thus had several uncomfortable run-ins with the law that adversely affected my life and career. Nonetheless I prevailed in a successful career as a research engineer and consultant for 25 years with responsible marijuana use much like my mother and father did with their 5 o'clock daily "drinky winky" time. The striking difference between my inebriant and that of my parents was that the alcohol my parents consumed was legal, although not when driving as was frequently the case back in the day. Mine thanks to arbitrary decisions by Congress and the FDA was a Class I controlled substance carrying heavy penalties for possession, marketing, and manufacturing bringing me legal and career setbacks. Spurred on by various misrepresentations of users in the media and films beginning with the 1936 classic "Reefer Madness", the evil weed came to be labeled the stepping stone to other illegal substances, simply because it was the most benign drug on the FDA list, that notably does not include alcohol that has a far greater impact on the body and no medicinal value. Not only did this seem unfair to me, it also seemed unconstitutional that the government had the authority to dictate what I did with my own body. Ultimately I stopped using marijuana after I retired and shifted to a much more nefarious drug of choice, methamphetamine. Fortunately for me I was not a street wise consumer, and after being convicted of a remove marijuana from the controlled substances list, felony for the third time or dispense with the list for having miniscule entirely, leaving it to the quantities of the drug I states and the people to realized that there was decide for themselves something wrong with how to manage drug use this picture - and that and prevent abuse. something was me. Until then reefer Long story short I madness will prevail, saw the light with the the black market for help of my probation distribution will flourofficer, counselors, and ish, and consequently a group of healthy acquaintances (you Richard our children willa have ready access to subindeed are who your stance that dulls their friends are) and no developing brains, longer desired to be inediminishes drive, and briated on any substance puts them on a pathetic – not because it was illepath of contempt for gal but because I could authority and vulnerahave more fun with a bility to incarceration. clear head and not suffer any adverse health, safety, or legal Our children will be better proconsequences. What a relief it tected if adults more responsibly became to simply obey the law and intelligently implement puband free myself from the stress and lic policies to safely and responsidrama of drug use. I must say bly distribute marijuana to adults however that my life would have that wish to use it and thereby end been far less stressful and more the miasma of marijuana marketproductive if public resources had ing. been expended to provide drug Richard Mazzucchi is a retired education and recovery assistance instead of wasted on a counter- research engineer specializing in energy efficiency and renewable productive and unwinnable war. Now that local authorities are energy. He has travelled clamping down once again on extensively and now makes his marijuana distribution by outlaw- home in Los Molinos, where he is ing regulated dispensaries, overall striving to manifest a sustainable drug violence and the profiteering and spiritual lifestyle and operate from illegal grows are on the rise. a BBQ equipment and supply Let's hope that sanity will prevail, business. He can be reached at that the federal government will living-green@att.net. Mazzucchi Positive Point Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-3076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 3930707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary Voting integrity; sorting race/racists out July's columns were written in June so as to allow for writing-free travels; I was remiss in not letting readers know about local Tea Party Patriots' meeting presentations. Limited email access and column length left no room to spare. Tonight's (6 p.m., Westside Grange) agenda involves an update on the Voter Integrity Project (VIP) by Patty and Mike from Corning Patriots; even if you can't personally participate in the Project, come and listen. Together with True the Vote efforts across the country, the Tea Party and others are finding that ordinary citizens are empowered by election laws to act as observers. They monitor the application of the legal framework put in place to assure us all that elections are fair and proper with votes cast only by those qualified and still breathing. Such efforts are not willy-nilly or seat-of-the-pants, but specific and detailed in order to present findings to authorities that stand up under scrutiny. Those findings, I've read, were presented to officials in Sacramento, such that hundreds of thousands of nonexistent voters, and many flawed election practices, were identified. There is, understandably, resistance and resentment in some quarters over such findings, obviously from folks benefiting from both the process and inaccurate rolls. Perhaps because it can be, and has been, manipulated to allow the very kinds of shenanigans election laws are supposed to prevent. The August 6 and 13 TPP schedules will be included in those columns. The verdict handed down in the trial of George Zimmerman—not guilty on all counts due to a legal and legitimate claim of selfdefense—has produced a reaction out of all proportion to the established facts and the criminal justice system. Impartial legal experts such as Alan Derschowitz rightfully decried a prosecution that was politicized and manipulated to satisfy the trumped up demands for vengeance by (mostly) AfricanAmerican mobs goaded by race hustlers such as Al Sharpton. A national news media couldn't resist jumping onto the latest phony crusade by this charlatan (look up Tawana Brawley). A black, thug, punk kid got justifiably killed by a Hispanic he was mercilessly pounding into unconsciousness; it was little more than a regional story. Anyone doubting my "thug, punk kid" characterization is welcome to ask for an elaboration; I'll happily oblige. Trayvon wasn't born as such, and he might have corrected his wayward, criminal ways and turned into a worthwhile young adult, like the many African-Americans I hired and managed in restaurants, often in their first job and the first to work at my stores. Just be aware that his friend, Rachel Jeantel, in both testimony and a subsequent interview, confirmed that he initiated what she called an "ass whooping," and a "bashing," to send a lesson to this "creepy ass cracker," that they convinced themselves over the phone was a likely sexual predator. You see, this "cracker" couldn't be allowed to follow him, Trayvon, back to the house where his younger sibling lived. That, folks, is real profiling that justified, in young Martin's mind, the beating that he was inflicting on Zimmerman. That's called this morning at my blog. "felony assault," the Also worthwhile readonly actual crime coming is a short post at mitted that night. This is Powerlineblog.com, a truthful re-creation "Irrationality Runs based on actual facts Amok in Black Percepand evidence, not the tions of the Zimmerman myths written in another Case," with links to a column, myths perpeWashington Post/ABC trated by the prosecuNews poll that "finds tion and their MSM that 86 percent of tools. Some of those African-Americans dismythical assertions approve of the jury verwere refuted and deconDon dict in the George Zimstructed on this page by Ken Say last Friday Polson merman trial. By contrast, 51 percent of ("Trayvon's innosay they approve cence"). Young, physiThe way whites verdict while just of the cally superior Martin 31 percent disapprove. started something he I see it However, only 30 perwould not have considcent of white Democrats ered finished short of Zimmerman's unconsciousness or approve." Also, look up a Rasmussen death. Given that fact, he got what he deserved, to his tragic misfor- Reports poll that found "More Americans view Blacks As Racist tune and demise. A shamelessly biased and inac- Than Whites, Hispanics". Find out curate cartoon appeared on this that "37% of American Adults page—a get-out-of-jail-free card think most black Americans are for Zimmerman due to being a racist …" which breaks down to neighborhood watch volunteer— 49 % of conservatives and Repuband was properly criticized in a let- licans, 38% of whites and, surprister titled "Cartoon off base." I've ingly, 31% of black Americans reviewed my two columns from that think "most blacks are racist." April 3 and 17, 2012 and will post I've personally interacted with them at "Polecat News and Views" racist and non-racist people of all (DonPolson.blogspot.com), where colors. By the way, if the white, racist, you can read for yourself that I got nothing wrong then; I've gotten punk thugs that racially insulted and injured a young, black woman nothing wrong here. You can easily look up "Fire (July 2, Daily News), were tied to a Created and Stoked by the Left," hitching post, I'd gladly horsewhip by Dennis Prager, and find them myself until they repented of numerous sources that begin with their ways; being cowards, it the sub-title: "The George Zim- wouldn't take long. merman-Trayvon Martin issue Don Polson has called Red Bluff has been manufactured by the left—the black left and the white home since 1988. He can be by e-mail at left—and by the left-wing (main- reached stream) media." It's also posted donplsn@yahoo.com.