Where to start? A drug free coalition in Pendleton made an effort to place a stake in the ground to ban marijuana and its surrounding paraphernalia.

Why? It wanted our state legislators to know that Pendleton did not want marijuana here.

The initial effort to ban all marijuana has reduced its focus, not to personal use, but to the marijuana industry.

Three reasons drove the effort:

• Safety of our families — when marijuana is used it increases the potential of accidents and deaths of those using and involved;

• Mental development of our children — use of marijuana has a negative effect on brain development;

• Economics/societal impacts — current data from states that have legalized marijuana has shown minimum tax benefit and significant increases in crime and hospitalizations.

In asking why adults are pro-marijuana, the answers are simply, “It makes me feel good.”

Nothing about the effects on others, just “It makes me feel good and it’s my life.”

This would be good if we all lived in a vacuum.

Every choice has a consequence.

I was puzzled as to why the marijuana of the ‘60s had become such a big deal 59 years later?

I realized that big tobacco and big pharma has suffered devastating financial losses.

Tobacco and opioids needed to be replaced in the profit column by something else, another product.

Of course, a dollar is a dollar, and how you make it is your business, or is it?

Waiting for the other shoe to drop or looking for a study or survey that gives marijuana credibility before adding it to the available drug list could be a good plan for some, but it seems like adults much less teens can’t handle drugs and alcohol responsibly.

Adding another problem to our current drug scene is adding insult to injury.

So not taking a position against marijuana legalization or commercialization seems to be a very easy and thoughtless step in making sure marijuana is added to the list we can’t or won’t control.

Sit on our hands and wait. We eventually can add it to the list of cocaine, heroin, alcohol, opioids or other drugs that turned into a cultural crisis.

But ready access to marijuana doesn’t seem to make common sense.

Also recognize the work that has already been done in developing beneficial THC drugs: Nabilone, Marinol, Syndros, Epediolex and Sativex. Controlled, professional, scientific studies and production of medical marijuana can lead the way in reducing suffering.

Buying marijuana/marijuana products out of a head shop looking for quality controlled, effective THC products is questionable and potentially dangerous in my thoughts.

G.M.Gasparovic

Vice chairman, Drug Free South Madison County Coalition