Medical Marijuana: Good or Bad?
Angela Holloway
Kurt Russow/ Comp. Class
LTE assignment
April 22, 2011
On April 14, 2011, I read an article in the New York Times that read Pat Robertson Questions Prison for Pot Convictions. (Shear) The article had caught my eye because of who Pat Robertson is and how you wouldn’t think he would be for the legalization of Marijuana.
I would have to agree with what Pat goes on to say and how I feel a lot of it makes sense.
“I’m not exactly for the use of drugs, don’t get me wrong, but I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot, that kind of thing, it’s just, it’s costing us a fortune and it’s ruining young people,” Mr. Robertson said. “Young people go into prisons; they go in as youths and come out as hardened criminals. That’s not a good thing.” That is what Pat Robertson, the televangelist who once ran for president, said on his show “The 700 Club” while mentioning how thought marijuana being legalized can be a good thing. I am a 41 year old wife and mother who has had her fair share of life experiences. My past experiences include using marijuana from time to time when I was younger. I never became an avid user and only remember having a good time when I used. I distinctively remember how its effects relaxed me more and put me more at ease. Unfortunately, prison and jail are also in my past experiences and that’s where I have to agree with Mr. Robertson and what he says in this article. I do believe that people being put in jail and prisons for minor marijuana charges is doing nothing but costing us millions in dollars in prosecuting them and subjecting these people to offenders who are there for much more dangerous offenses. My marijuana use and jail time had nothing to do with one another. I was sentenced for something wrong that I had done and was rightfully sentenced for that crime. I took it very serious and did what needed to be done to get back home and start over. If it’s not
Kurt Russow/ Comp. Class
LTE assignment
April 22, 2011
On April 14, 2011, I read an article in the New York Times that read Pat Robertson Questions Prison for Pot Convictions. (Shear) The article had caught my eye because of who Pat Robertson is and how you wouldn’t think he would be for the legalization of Marijuana.
I would have to agree with what Pat goes on to say and how I feel a lot of it makes sense.
“I’m not exactly for the use of drugs, don’t get me wrong, but I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot, that kind of thing, it’s just, it’s costing us a fortune and it’s ruining young people,” Mr. Robertson said. “Young people go into prisons; they go in as youths and come out as hardened criminals. That’s not a good thing.” That is what Pat Robertson, the televangelist who once ran for president, said on his show “The 700 Club” while mentioning how thought marijuana being legalized can be a good thing. I am a 41 year old wife and mother who has had her fair share of life experiences. My past experiences include using marijuana from time to time when I was younger. I never became an avid user and only remember having a good time when I used. I distinctively remember how its effects relaxed me more and put me more at ease. Unfortunately, prison and jail are also in my past experiences and that’s where I have to agree with Mr. Robertson and what he says in this article. I do believe that people being put in jail and prisons for minor marijuana charges is doing nothing but costing us millions in dollars in prosecuting them and subjecting these people to offenders who are there for much more dangerous offenses. My marijuana use and jail time had nothing to do with one another. I was sentenced for something wrong that I had done and was rightfully sentenced for that crime. I took it very serious and did what needed to be done to get back home and start over. If it’s not
Cited: 1. Shear, Michael D. The New York Times, The Caucus, The Politics and Government blog of the Times April 14, 2011 http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/legalize-pot-says-televangelist-pat-robertson/?ref=marijuana 2. Kristof, Nicholas D. The Opinion Pages, The New York Times October 27, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/opinion/28kristof.html?ref=marijuana 3. Uddin, Rae & Hurd, Ryan. Livestrong.com/ Livestrong.com blog your comeback/ March 5, 2011/ May 19, 2010 http://www.livestrong.com/article/126484-psychological-benefits-marijuana/ 4. Weedblog.com/ The Weed Blog Forum: The Weed Blog June 15, 2010. http://www.theweedblog.com/two-medical-marijuana-patients-defend-their-method-of-treatment/