The North Coast times-eagle., August 01, 1987, Page 3, Image 3

PA GE 3
T H E N O R T H C O A S T T I M E S E A G L E , A U G U S T 1987
R. CRUM B
LETTERS
GRASS ROOTS
T O T H E E D IT O R :
C o n t r a r y to th e w i s h e s o f th e p o w e r s t h a t
b e , th e m a r iju a n a is s u e h a s n o t g o n e a w a y .
A lth o u g h B a l l o t M e a s u r e 5 , w h ic h w o u ld h a v e
p a r tia lly le g a liz e d m a r iju a n a u s e and c u ltiv a ­
t i o n i n th e s t a t e o f O r e g o n , w a s d e f e a t e d l a s t
N o v e m b e r , p e o p le a r e s t i l l i n d u l g i n g a t th e
s a m e o r a n in c r e a s e d r a te . Illic it d e a le r s
a r e s t i l l m a k i n g o u t r a g e o u s p r o f i t s s e l l i n g to
a d u l t s a n d c h i l d r e n a l i k e w ith v i r u t a l i m m u n i t y .
A1 C a p o n e w a s th e f i r s t to d i s c o v e r t h a t if
y o u h a v e s o l d e n o u g h to c o v e r t h e f in e t h e n y o u
a r e b a c k o n t h e s t r e e t s in b u s i n e s s a g a i n . B u t,
c a u g h t in t h e c r u n c h b e t w e e n th e d e a l e r s a n d
c o p s (a g a m e ) i s th e u s e r , th e p e r s o n w h o f o r
w h a t e v e r b e n e f i t s / h e p e r c e i v e s , c h o o s e s to
u se th is e u p h o ric s u b s ta n c e o v e r s o m e o th e r .
T h e b e n e f i t m u s t b e t h e r e : s / h e ' s p a y in g u p ­
w a rd s of th re e h u n d re d d o lla rs p e r ounce fo r
t h e s t u f f c o n s i s t e n t l y . S / h e 's n o t a d d i c t e d ;
s / h e s im p ly lik e s it a n d h a s d is c o v e r e d th a t
it is h e a l t h i e r a n d f e e ls b e t t e r th a n th e le g a l
e u p h o r i c s l i k e a l c o h o l . So s / h e p a y s a n d s o
d o e s s o c ie ty .
S o m e h o w , s i n c e 1937 w h e n c a n n a b i s b e c a m e
th e v ic tim of i n d u s t r i a l / p o l i t i c a l s a b o ta g e ,
t h i s p r o h i b i t i o n h a s g o t w a y o u t of h a n d . C a n ­
n a b i s w a s t h i s c o u n t r y 's m o s t u s e d a g r i c u l ­
t u r a l p r o d u c t f o r its f ib e r , p a p e r , o il, te x tile
a n d m e d i c i n e p r o p e n s i t i e s . It i s a t r u l y
a m a z in g s u b s ta n c e . A c o n c e r te d e f f o r t by th e
D u P o n ts , H e a r s t s , R o c k e f e lle r s a n d u n e m p lo y ­
e d a lc o h o l p r o h ib itio n b u r e a u c r a t s w ho lo s t
t h e i r jo b s w h e n r e p e a l r e o p e n e d s a lo o n s a n d
d i s t i l l e r i e s in 1 9 3 3 , a l l o f w h o m h a d f i n a n c i a l
r e a s o n s fo r e lim in a tin g th is in d u s try , c r e a te d
" R e e f e r M a d n e s s . " W h e r e th e t r u t h c o u l d n o t
b e tw is te d to s u p p o r t p r o h ib itio n th e y s im p ly
in v e n te d lie s . T h e s e lie s a r e s till c ir c u la tin g
t o d a y , a n d w ith e n h a n c e d t e c h n o l o g y s o m e n e w
o n es h av e b een c re a te d .
T o d a y t h e O r e g o n M a r i j u a n a I n i t i a t i v e is
a s k i n g f o r a r e t r i a l . W e s h o u l d lo o k a t th e
m a r i j u a n a q u e s t i o n a g a i n w ith t h e s a m e f a i r ­
n e s s e x h i b i t e d in A l a s k a t w e lv e y e a r s a g o .
T h e f a c t s s h o u l d b e p u t o n th e t a b l e . In th e
A l a s k a S u p r e m e C o u r t it w a s n o c o n t e s t .
P r o h i b i t i o n l o s t b y a f iv e to z e r o v o t e .
In t h i s c o u n t r y w e a r e p r e s u m e d in n o c e n t
u n til p ro v e n g u ilty of a c r i m e . L ik e w is e , so
s h o u ld o u r lif e s t y le s be in n o c e n t u n til p ro v e n
g u i l t y o f c r i m i n a l n a t u r e . We h a v e e s t a b l i s h e d
t h e p r e c e d e n t s in t h i s n a t i o n t h a t s u b s t a n c e s
th a t a r e a s d a n g e ro u s a s a lc o h o l, to b a c c o an d
c a ffe in e a r e a c c e p ta b le . F a i r n e s s d ic ta te s we
a b id e b y th e s e g u id e lin e s . S how u s , th e n , b e y o n d
d o u b t th a t c a n n a b is is m o r e d a n g e r o u s th a n
a l c o h o l o r d r o p th e p e r s e c u t i o n .
T o o o f te n c a n n a b i s u s e r s a p p r o a c h t h i s
i s s u e h a v in g t o d e f e n d t h e m s e l v e s f o r w h a t
t h e y d o . It i s t i m e f o r th e l a w , t h e i n f r i n g e ­
m e n t o n o u r f r e e d o m to d e f e n d i t s e l f . It
s h o u ld b e a m o r e s o lid d e fe n s e th a n N a h a s ia n
ty p e l o g ic ( e x a m p l e : a s p h y x i a t e a R h e s u s
m o n k e y w ith c a n n a b i s s m o k e a n d t h e n s e e if
it h a s l o s t a n y b r a i n c e l l s ! ) . W ild , p o o r l y s u b ­
s ta n t ia t e d c la im s w ill not d o . E v e r y m a jo r
g o v e r n m e n t s t u d y d o n e w ith o p e n m i n d e d s c i ­
e n t i f i c p r o c e d u r e h a s f o u n d c a n n a b i s to be
r e l a t i v e l y in n o c u o u s ( L a G u a r d i a S tu d y , 1 9 4 4 ;
S h a f e r C o m m i s s i o n , 1 9 7 2 ; U C L A S tu d y , 1 9 7 5 ;
J a m a i c a n / C o s t a R i c a n S tu d y , 1 9 6 8 , 1974 a n d
1 9 8 2 ; A m e r i c a n A c a d e m y of S c i e n c e s , 1984;
C r a n c e r S tu d y , 1 9 6 9 ; e t c . ) b u t s t i l l a p o l i t i c a l
h o t p o ta to . We a ls o h a v e m o r e th a n t h i r t y
m i l l i o n c a s e s t u d i e s w a l k in g a r o u n d th e U. S.
fro m w hom we c a n d ra w in fo rm a tio n . T he m il ­
l i o n s o f c a n n a b i s u s e r s w h o d o n o t go on to h a r d
d r u g s c a n t e l l y o u c a n n a b i s i s n o t a g a te w a y
d r u g . T he h e a lth y c h ild r e n of c a n n a b is u s e r s
c a n t e l l y o u c a n n a b i s i s n o t m u t a g e n i c . H ow
d o e s c a n n a b is a f f e c t th e s e p e o p le ? " V e ry w e ll,
t h a n k y o u — B u t w o u ld y o u p l e a s e g e t t h i s
p o lic e m a n o ff m y b a c k !"
T h e w o r s t d a n g e r to th e c a n n a b i s u s e r is
th e la w . An o p p o r tu n ity to c h a n g e th is e x is t s
a g a i n w ith a r e n e w e d , r e w r i t t e n O r e g o n M a r i ­
ju a n a In itia tiv e . OM I h a s fa c e d so m e p o litic a l
r e a l i t i e s a n d w ill p r e s e n t a b a llo t m e a s u r e
w ith c h a n g e s t h a t s h o u l d d r a w a m a j o r i t y v o te
in 1 9 8 8 .
It is t y p i c a l o f t h i s i s s u e t h a t it t a k e s s o
m u c h w o r k by d e d i c a t e d i n d i v i d u a l s b e c a u s e
th e s t a t e l e g i s l a t u r e r u n s s c a r e d f r o m a
w o r k a b l e s o l u t i o n . L e t 's h o p e t h a t n e x t t i m e
t h e p u b lic w ill s e e t h r o u g h th e h y s t e r i a a n d
r e s p o n d to th e f a c t s , n o t t h e m e d i a a m p l i f i e d
n o n s e n s e w ith w h ic h w e a r e s o o f te n d e l u g e d .
S T E P H E N P A R IS H , N E W P O R T
LOW WAGES
T O T H E E D IT O R :
If y o u a r e t h in k i n g o f g o in g to w o r k f o r
P o i n t A d a m s P a c k in g C o m p a n y , be a d v i s e d
t h a t t h e y w i l l p a y o n ly $ 4 .0 5 p e r h o u r if th e y
c a n g e t a w a y w ith i t , e v e n if y o u a r e a n e x p e r ­
i e n c e d c a n n e r y w o r k e r . W ith t h r e e y e a r s o f
c a n n e r y e x p e r i e n c e , th e y p a id m e t h e i r i n e x ­
p e r i e n c e d s t a r t i n g w a g e o f $ 4 .0 5 a n d a l t h o u g h
I w o rk e d ( s lim e in g b la c k c o d ) a lm o s t s ix
h o u r s , th e y p a id m e f o r o n ly f i v e . A f t e r
d e d u c ti n g m o n e y f o r m y a p r o n , h a i r n e t a n d
g l o v e s , m y n e t p a y w a s $ 1 4 .2 6 . So i f y o u a r e
s e e k in g e m p lo y m e n t a t P o in t A d a m s , y ou m a y
w a n t to r e c o n s i d e r .
G A R Y H I L L , A S T O R IA
FLAGWAVERS
T O T H E E D IT O R :
R e : f l a g w a v e r s ( T i m e s E a g l e , J u l y 1 9 8 7 ).
A m e n , M r. M c C u s k e r! E x a c tly w h a t I h av e
t r i e d to s a y f o r y e a r s . I c o m m e n d y o u a n d h o p e
y o u r e a l i z e th e a n g e r a n d r e s e n t m e n t t h a t c a m e
f r o m t h is i s s u e p r o v e s y o u r p o in t. It w a s f l a g ­
w a v e rs w ho e le c te d a m a n e ith e r p o m p o u s
e n o u g h to b r e a k th e la w o r i n c o m p e t e n t e n o u g h
n o t to s t o p h is r i g h t h a n d m e n f r o m b r e a k i n g i t .
It w a s f l a g w a v e r s w h o s u p p o r t e d C a s t r o in '5 8
a n d C o n t r a s in '8 7 .
I w a s a n g e r e d by y o u r a r t i c l e . A n g e r e d t h a t
it w a s n 't p u b l i s h e d s o o n e r ! A n d a n g e r e d t h a t
s t i l l p e o p le c a n n o t s e e th e t r u t h — t h a t b lin d
f a i t h in a f la g o r a n i d e a l i s j u s t t h a t , b l i n d .
V IN C E S T A M P E R , S E A S ID E
CAHHOH BEACH BOOK COMPAHY
132 North Hemlock, Connon^Beoch
436-1301
Stajloied
CANNON BEACH
4 3 6 -1 5 7 2
in AsJoria
EVERY THURS., F R I, & SAT.
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Fish & Chips
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