Pubdate: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 Source: Alaska Dispatch News (AK) Copyright: 2014 Alaska Dispatch Publishing Contact: http://www.adn.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/18 Note: Anchorage Daily News until July '14 Author: Randy Brutsche MY OWN HYPERBOLE ON THE COSTS OF DRUG LEGALIZATION Brad Johnson clearly and concisely lays out the points of a 1960s TV script in his Alaska Peace Officers Association opinion piece, "Legal marijuana comes at too great a cost" (ADN, Sept. 28). Dr. Marin Granholm agrees in her letter to the editor, "Legalizing pot will have social costs" (ADN, Oct. 13). I am a 60-year-old white male, Vietnam-era noncombat veteran, multi-skilled, blue-collar worker, and proud father of two grown, fine young men. I have been psychologically scarred by enough legal and illegal mind-altering substances to consider myself an expert among amateurs. In response, I would like to propose my own unsubstantiated hyperbole. If the whole world enjoys a single serving of high-grade sativa cannabis at the same time, the cost (instantly addicted individuals no longer producing) will be a moment of relative world peace. If the whole world enjoys a single serving of high-grade LSD, or its natural substance origins, the cost (society as we know it crashing into absolute hallucinogenic anarchy) will be a global conscience shift toward enlightenment that will leave a profound, positive impact on human intellectual growth. Carefully consider what that will do for those running the prison-industrial complex taking nonviolent people from life, and those running the military-industrial complex taking liberty, and their victims' pursuit of happiness. - - Randy Brutsche Wasilla - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom