Dear Editor:
Representative Baker’s 21-October letter in Cowboy State Daily hits all of the oft-repeated talking points in support of changing & liberalizing Wyoming’s cannabis laws.
These points largely boil down to the arguments, “Everybody else is doing it…” and “We need to change with the times.”
Neither of these points is intellectually substantial or compelling, nor are any of the other rationale Mr. Baker outlined, with one exception: marijuana use for legitimate medical purposes should be accommodated under law, with provision for control as with any other prescription drug.
I won’t take the time here to dissect Mr. Baker’s arguments point by point, but suggest he and your readers consider the article at this link: 14 Ways Marijuana Harms Users.
I also suggest that Mr. Baker & all proponents of liberalized pot laws (and all Wyoming citizens interested in this issue) recall the precipitous decay of Denver immediately following the legalization of marijuana in Colorado.
As a direct result of liberalized homelessness policies & laws and the tolerance & legalization of open, public use of marijuana, the heart of Denver morphed in a stunningly-few years to a cesspool of filth, human misery & petty crime in a fog of ganja smoke.
Anyone who believes this was not the inevitable outcome of “progressive” policy, including the legalization of marijuana use, must be oblivious to the patterns of ruin & decadence in nearly every American urban area. I reject that outcome for Wyoming.
John Hoak
Big Horn, Wyoming
