The following is an email I sent to representative Burridge regarding his conduct and HB92
——————————————-
Dear Representative Burridge,
I would like to take the time to write you regarding your stand on HB92, as well as your remarks to my colleague, Toby Iselin.
You claim to represent the people here in Keene. As such, you must be approachable. Your constituents must trust that they can approach you with their concerns about pending legislation. You have betrayed that trust by forwarding a constituent’s email to the local police department.
I trust that this was a momentary lapse; I have no desire to see you publicly condemned for this error in judgment. But I do hope you realize that it was indeed a lapse of judgment. If your constituents fear reprisal for contacting you, you will be unable to effectively represent them.
Please consider the effect that your actions have had on the community, and the level of trust that you must earn.
I understand your position on HB92. I do not, however, agree with it. I hope that you will at least consider the reasons for my position.
You have experienced the bad side of mind-altering drugs; and your life was unfortunately changed for the worse.
But consider the negative impact that prohibition has had on the lives of many people. Drug prohibition has resulted in a strong increase in the number of people incarcerated. This results in an increase in broken homes and single-parent families, and perpetuates the cycle of poverty.
Drug prohibition has also resulted in an increase in violent crime. This is due to the effect of organized crime and gang activity that go hand in hand with the black markets created by prohibition.
Meanwhile, the drug war has resulted in loss of prestige overseas, as the United States has committed great crimes against peoples in other nations in order to combat drug use here at home. Consider, for instance, the devastating impact of “Plan Colombia†on the impoverished people in Colombia.
Consider, too, that Drug Prohibition has resulted in the creation of dangerous drugs (such as meth) that are preferred because they are easy to produce cheaply. If alternative drugs were easier to acquire, meth would not even have a market.
Finally, consider that drug prohibition makes it unlikely that addicts will seek help, because they will fear punishment.
Granted, legalization of marijuana will not solve all these problems. Only completely ending the drug war will accomplish that. But it will be a step in the right direction. As others have noted, marijuana users are not violent, and hence, legalization of marijuana will be a good step towards ending the incarceration of non-violent individuals.
I should also note that legalization of marijuana will make it easier on people who are in my situation. I suffer from a degenerative form of arthritis: psoriatic arthritis. I have been prescribed numerous NSAID’s (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.) These NSAIDs all have devastating side effects, particularly with long term use. They are almost universally hard on the stomach and liver. Last year, the NSAIDs contributed to a stomach ulcer, and I was forced to endure the pain without any treatment at all while my stomach healed. I shudder to think of the damage that these drugs are doing to my liver. Interestingly, I am currently taking a prescription dose of napoxen, which is available over the counter. Your philosophy is troubling to me: You believe that I should not be able to get marijuana over the counter (which has been shown effective for pain relief), but I should be able to get Aleve (naproxen) over the counter? This is inconsistent.
Consider, also, the inconsistency of permitting alcohol and tobacco use, while forbidding marijuana use. The ravages of alcohol and tobacco outstrip, by far, any detrimental effects of marijuana usage. It has been estimated that tobacco kills one person in the world every ten seconds! There were almost 17,000 alcohol related fatalities in the United States last year! The effects of marijuana on Society are negligible by comparison.
I am not advocating that we illegalize alcohol or tobacco. If alcohol prohibition taught us anything, it is that it is impossible to criminalize a product for which there is a substantial market. The attempt to do so only leads to violent crime, corruption, and a loss of legitimacy as people flaunt the law.
Please remember that your brother was many things: He was obviously a very intelligent person, who would have contributed a lot to Society. He also was a person who made a tragic mistake, one that cost him his life. However, for whatever else he may have been, your brother was not a criminal. Please remove the law that says he was.
Sincerely,
Caleb Johnson
Keene, NH
