Letter to Martha Coakley

     As a husband, father, small business owner, registered voter, and lifetime Massachusetts resident, I feel that marijuana legalization is the most important topic on the current political agenda. I would like to better understand why it is that you do not support the legalization of medical marijuana in Massachusetts. Aside from upholding the federal ban, which is in question per H.R. 2306, I see no other logical reason to delay patients' access to this medicine. Marijuana legalization would generate much needed revenues, create jobs, reduce crime, improve our ability to deal with and treat addiction, provide effective medicine for patients with terminal illnesses(among others), and restore liberty to the people of the commonwealth.

      Marijuana prohibition began with the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. William Randolph Hearst, Andrew Mellon, and the DuPont family decided that hemp was a major threat to their economic prosperity. They conspired to instill fear around cannabis in the hearts of the American people, by creating films such as "Reefer Madness", these films portrayed marijuana as a dangerous substance which preyed on the nation's youth. Today we are trying to change that image by promoting the benefits of marijuana while dispelling the fears surrounding it.

     The media has taken the American people for a ride and lied to them on numerous occasions but few of these lies have proven as detrimental to our country as the ones about marijuana.

     This deception has lead our country into a war on drugs which has claimed the lives of an unknown number of victims, cost our country $13B, and is currently costing 1.5M people their freedom. Marijuana has been proven to treat many illnesses and it works best in its natural form. Still, instead of utilizing the benefits of this herb, the government has waged a never-ending and expensive war.

     I have personally investigated each of these claims, making sure to give both sides of the argument equal clout, and I believe that marijuana legalization is the best course of action for the state of Massachusetts. Not only is it the optimal solution to many problems, but it is unfair to maintain such hurtful laws. Considering these points, I encourage you to reconsider your policy on marijuana legalization or, at least, conduct a thorough investigation on the matter. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
     Jonathan Rys