Am I disappointed the cannabis bill failed in the House along party lines? Sure. But putting the bill and its demise in context, maybe Democrats need to seriously redesign this bill.
The bill is loaded with pure crap.
At the same time the bill professes to treat cannabis like alcohol, it does not do so. Citizens are limited to one measly ounce (28 grams). Is there any similar limit on possession of alcohol? No. Can citizens cultivate their own for personal use? No. Last time I looked, alcohol users get to make their own wine and beer. Only two objections, but they figure large in the cannabis universe.
This country turned against those who moralized excessively against the use of alcohol. When I read the verbiage in this bill, the reek of moral disdain looms large, as if the authors of the bill look down upon cannabis users, seeing them as criminals with weak morals and ne’er-do-wells and begrudging the push for legalization.
Cannabis is as much about American liberty as anything else. And it’s about time this state yielded its Big Brother overreaching and adopted common sense.
Finally, no one in the cannabis community wants big corporate running this show.
Do cannabis users need a nanny state to raise the standards of product? No. Corporate lobbying will result in one thing: the end of the cannabis free market in this state. Be it irrational, perplexing and fuzzy, a free cannabis market is best for consumers.
Paul Hayes
Milford
