Pubdate: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 Source: Boulder Weekly (CO) Copyright: 2009 Boulder Weekly Contact: http://www.boulderweekly.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/57 Author: William Ambrose END REEFER MADNESS (Re: "Legislators: Pot law needed," news, Jan. 7.) I was at my local Target buying the usual staples from the $1 area, as well as some antihistamines and NyQuil. You see, I have what 70 percent of Colorado has - a bad cold. Anyway, upon paying for my items, the clerk had to scan my license in order to sell me the antihistamine. I understand that it is to curb the meth production problem, but it got me thinking. I should really give an ID and sign sort of form saying I read all the potential side effects of the NyQuil. That is the truly dangerous drug that I will be ingesting. I can O.D., develop a physical addiction, and be a lethalweapon behind the wheel of a car while "high" on it. Yet, I can buy bottles of it over the counter. Then I read your article and came up with an easy solution to the marijuana laws: sell pot over the counter. Let dispensaries sell it as medicinal, but let the buyer decide how he/she will use it, just like NyQuil or Benadryl, etc. Our (useless) state legislators should ease the regulations instead of trying to work around the state's constitution. In the end, it will save taxpayers money and create tax revenue. The money saved would all be from the endless court cases that will be eliminated. The law would state that it is still medicinal, but eliminate the horse-and-pony show of who really "needs" pot. Then, DAs and sheriffs would know exactly how the law applies. This would put new pressure on the federal government to either enforce the federal law or re-evaluate whether marijuana is a drug with no medicinal purpose. The current administration has pussyfooted around this issue, and I believe this would bring this issue to the forefront. Another part of the law should allow cities/counties to allow how pot is sold. They could allow everything from a "coffee shop" setting like in Holland to being absolutely dry. There are dry counties all over the United States. They forfeit tax revenue from alcohol sales for puritan beliefs. That should be their right in this case as well. In the end, this could change how every state and the nation looks at the pot issue. Colorado could be the model that other states follow. Then maybe the "reefer madness" myth will also be finally destroyed. William Ambrose/Broomfield - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart