Letter: In reality, pot is completely harmless

Editor,

Brad King wrote, “NM liberal lawmakers seem to be clamoring to climb on the pot legalization bandwagon, just like our ill fated neighbor to the north.”

Here in the reality-based community, “Colorado’s GDP increased by 3.6 percent in 2015, the fourth most of any state in the country. One reason for the strong economic growth is the state’s legalization of recreational marijuana. The state’s marijuana industry — and its $1 billion in sales last year — generated $135.1 million in taxes, license and fee revenue for Colorado. Close to one quarter of the 2015 state marijuana revenue will be spent on school construction projects.”

Meanwhile, here in our ill-fated failed state, “New Mexico ranks as the worst run state on our list for the second consecutive year. Following a large and unexpected tax shortfall in the state’s fiscal 2016 and 2017 budgets, Moody’s downgraded the state’s credit rating and outlook.” I thought conservatives believed in small government, individual liberty?

King writes of his late son, “We believe 100 percent that pot reduced or removed inhibitions that would normally have made him hesitant to use heroin.” With all due respect, King is entitled to his beliefs, but not to his own facts! “The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) quietly removed a report from its website, suggesting that it is finally giving up the false theories that cannabis is a ‘gateway drug.’ These myths have been at the heart of positions held by marijuana prohibitionists and often served as their platform when voting against medical cannabis legislation.”

The 80-year prohibition of the holy herb, the marijuana plan, is rooted in junk science, xenophobia and racism, so it’s not at all surprising that the party of Republican President Donald Trump remains in lock step support of this failed and racist policy!

“The federal law that makes possession of marijuana a crime has its origins in legislation that was passed in an atmosphere of hysteria during the 1930s and that was firmly rooted in prejudices against Mexican immigrants and African-Americans, who were associated with marijuana use at the time. This racially freighted history lives on in current federal policy, which is so driven by myth and propaganda that it is almost impervious to reason.”

Brian Fejer

UNM alumnus