Legalize pot, majority of U.S. says
WILLIAM BENDER, Daily News Staff Writer benderw@phillynews.com, 215-854-5255
LAST WEEK was the tipping point: For the first time in more than four decades of polling, a majority of Americans say that marijuana should be legalized, the Pew Research Center announced. ....
For Mike Whiter, 36, a Marine combat veteran from South Philly who served in Kosovo and Iraq, the plant has medicinal value. Over five years, doctors had prescribed him dozens of medications, including antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opiates, for posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. He discovered nine months ago that cannabis works much better.
"They give you these pills that have suicide as a side effect," Whiter said. "I'm not on any more pills. I just smoke pot. It saved my life."
Whiter recently founded Pennsylvania Veterans for Marijuana Legalization. It doesn't matter if it's for medicinal or recreational use, he said. Smoking pot just shouldn't be a crime.
"Before, I was a recluse. I stayed in my house, scared to leave. I would never have done this had it not been for cannabis," Whiter said. "I'm returning the favor. If I get in trouble for returning the favor, so be it."
No comments:
Post a Comment