RE: PROHIBITION VS. DEMOCRACY: THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA

The problem with Prop 215 isn't Prop 215... it's the hypocritical
atmosphere which forced it to be written in the first place. There
should be no question that people who are sick need their medicine. It
is inhumane to keep it from them.

Regarding our youth, let's speak frankly...the only thing more
difficult than talking with kids about sex is the issue of cannabis.
How do we come across to them without sounding like hypocrites, when
all we're really trying to say is that we love them very much and that
we're scared to death for their safety and well being?

Simple.

Rather than running away from what is feared, we need to stand before
it and see the truth. Rather than hiding behind years of
misinformation and manipulation, we need to come out into the light of
scientific fact. Otherwise we are just continuing the deception.

Children do not respect people who lie to them. They do not
open themselves to people who violate their trust. Rather they become
jaded and overly cynical. Lying is an inappropriate teaching tool. If
we want to reach our youth in such a way that they will hear us, we
have to be honest. And honesty begins at home...that reflection in the
mirror, for instance.

Can any of us truly look in the mirror and calmly say that it's okay
to deny sick and dying people their medicine? Do any of us really
think our kids would give us the time of day if they found out we were
being that heartless? Today's kids aren't dumb. They grew up on
anti-drug TV commercials and D.A.R.E., and have no doubt seen their
share of reality within their own peer groups and through the
entertainment industry, not to mention on the home front. Balking
California law does not solve the problem; rather it makes things more
complex, sending a very negative message to our youth. The message?

It's okay to ignore the rules. So let's stop using our youth as a
smoke screen (pardon the pun), and address the REAL issue! It's time
for us to open our minds and learn the truth about medical cannabis.
We'll be a lot better for it, and we'll gain a hefty bit of respect
from our kids, too.

Rev. Randelyn C. Webster, DSM

San Francisco