Marijuana Policy Public Comment by Dean CannonAimee Brunckhorst
From: Dean Cannon <dean.cannon@mac.com>
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2021 2:21 AM
To: Kalispell City Council
Cc: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject: EXTERNAL Comment on Marijuana policy
Dear Council,
We are soon -to -be new residents of your beautiful town. I hope it is appreciated by everyone just want an oasis of sanity
and beauty you have here in Kalispell. I also hope you appreciate how quickly that can change.
I am a believer in the use of CBD oil for treatment of various things. I am also an advocate of medical Marijuana in its
treatment for things like insomnia, PTSD, loss of appetite due to cancer and other ailments. I am also a believer that the
mainstreaming of Marijuana is political and leads to abuse of it. No, weed is not the same thing as alcohol.
The Argument
There is the Libertarian argument for legalization of many drugs including cannabis which stems from the idea of self
determination and right of choice. The left-wing argument is against so-called `Marijuana Prohibition'. While
conservatives are happy letting people choose for themselves, the left-wing platform is aggressive and seeks out
detractors. This lobby want to make cannabis virtually mandatory for everyone. Theirs is an aggressive lobby which has
been quite successful at turning young people into addicted leftists and quiet little towns into Democrat strongholds.
The facts bear this out in any town where dispensaries are common. I believe this is a political issue.
Marijuana is a hallucinogenic. It's effects last days, weeks or even months for chronic users who try to quit. Yes ... at first
it may lead only to the giggles and eating bags of Doritos. But the most insidious thing about weed is its quick ramp up to
chronic use, more potent strains and a complete overhaul of a person's perception of reality over time. Pretty soon, the
user finds it hard to live without the drug. Marijuana advocates will tell you this is wrong. Actually, they are wrong. And
they never admit to any bad effects which is suspicious for every drug has side effects. Used sensibly and in moderation
almost any drug can be useful. Sadly, in the real world we live in, drugs destroy peoples' lives then turn them into
leftists. I have no doubt why so many Democrats are keen to legalize it.
The Truth
Reasonable people will always meet in the middle. But I want to let you know what you might be in for. People do not
remain reasonable for long when they become addicted due to socially acceptable and easy -to -obtain hallucinogenics.
Our experience living in Seattle and the former conservative town of Anchorage tells us that if you want to see a rise in
left wing activism, criminality, social lethargy, and the death of incentive - open as many Marijuana Dispensaries in your
town as you can. Newcomers like ourselves are not creating many new industries or permanent jobs. Many of us
commute or tele-commute. Kalispell's growth in population will not necessarily come with a commensurate rise in high
paying jobs. As house prices soar and pressure pushes locals out of accommodation, Marijuana's killing of incentive and
its proclivity to inspire left wing politics could come at a bad time.
I know you may not be able to do much as the law has been passed at the state level. But I urge you to keep these places
out of town if you allow them at all ... and keep up the fight against them. A Marijuana Dispensary (signage or not) in your
neighborhood or downtown tells everybody that Marijuana is safe and as innocent as a McDonald's Big Mac. It is not.
Marijuana users are not bad people. They are simply being used. When it was illegal there was an excitement in
obtaining it. This illicit thrill (generated by consequences of arrest or prison) kept not only its use down, but the politics
that inevitably go along with it, down also. Its use was a relegated to garages and XBOX binges amongst "buds". If it goes
mainstream, its politics will also and it will drive places to the far left. Mark my words.
You have something beautiful and unique here in the Flathead Valley. I humbly urge you to preserve it.
Best,
Dean Cannon
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