TOBACCO TAX OK, BUT FOR POT: NO TAXATION WITHOUT LEGALIZATION

I disagree with Tommy Maple's column that addresses how the increased
tax on cigarettes is wrong.

According to the American Cancer Society, 440,000 people in the
United States die every year from cigarette-related deaths and many
more suffer from cardiovascular complications due to their habits.
These health problems caused by cigarette smoking serve only to place
a huge burden on the state's health care system. During times of
economic recession, it makes sense to tax those who choose to buy
cigarettes, as they are the ones who may need to utilize the state's
health care system once their tobacco habit begins to cause serious
health problems. Why should nonsmokers pay for the health problems of
those who make the conscious decision to light up?

However, I do applaud Maple for raising awareness about the excessive
taxes levied on cigars, wraps and rolling papers that aim to unfairly
tax marijuana smokers.

Taxation without legalization is certainly wrong and the government
could easily generate tax revenue if the state decriminalized
marijuana and allowed the passage of medical marijuana laws. Unlike
cigarettes, no one has been able to prove that marijuana use leads to
death, cancer or any other malady associated with tobacco smoke. In
fact, marijuana has been shown to kill cancer cells and prevent
Alzheimer's disease.

Additionally, although Maple claims that "organizing smokers to do
anything other than listen to music or play video games is a
Herculean task," he should be informed that Gainesville's chapter of
People United for Medical Marijuana was organized solely by UF
student smokers and non-smokers who hold strong political beliefs
about our state's current drug policies and wish to see them changed.
Many of these students are currently volunteering to collect
signatures on a petition in hopes that Florida will vote to allow
medical marijuana in our state. Clearly, these hardworking students
demonstrate that people who support marijuana reform are not lazy,
apathetic stoners who care only about eating Funyuns.

But rather, they are responsible young adults who wish to change the
oppressive and archaic laws that demonize nonviolent marijuana smokers.