To the Editor:

It would be nice to see both sides of the recent marijuana legalization, rather than all of these negative opinions that have continuously been published. A letter was published recently from a man from Missouri a few days after legalization took place. He was so sure that all over the resort there were clouds of smoke as he drove by, and people all around smoking in public. First of all, the clouds of smoke that this man was witness to was not of marijuana smoke (as almost everyone at the resort would have to be smoking, and then some, in order to get that kind of smoke consolidated in such a large, open area) but of slash piles a few miles down the road. But I suppose if you don’t smoke, it’s pretty likely that you’d get the smell of marijuana and the smell of burning slash confused. Secondly, people have been smoking at resorts (and virtually everywhere else) since before legalization. It seems to me that now that it’s in the news, he chooses to notice it, where as before it never even crossed his mind. It’s easy to make up these sorts of stories in order to continue discriminating against something that he obviously does not understand, nor care to gain any knowledge or true insight on.

Another man of around 60 wrote recently, stating that he feels that by promoting marijuana revenues in Grand County, we will experience a population that has become lethargic and irresponsible, as well as overly obsessed with the consumption of marijuana. To that I could only laugh. In a county where liquor is so prominent and supported without question, I feel more of this lethargy and irresponsibility is related to rampant alcoholism than a harmless plant. He stated that he himself experimented with marijuana and that it made him become unmotivated, as well as many of his friends who still continue to use. I can’t help but think that it may be possible this man is stereotyping based on the fact he cannot handle marijuana, nor can his friends. It’s not for everyone, and with that comes the responsibility to not only realize it is not for yourself, but to not discriminate and generalize against others for whom it does work. Regardless of legality, proponents will continue to smoke, with or without people who spread their ignorance.

Allison Birch

Fraser