As many of you may know, Proposition 64 was on the November 8 ballot. Proposition 64 regards the legalization of adult use of marijuana in California. The ballot will also feature Measure KK that would allow for one medical marijuana dispensary for every 10,000 residents. Many believe that the inclusion of a marijuana dispensary in our sheltered town would corrupt the minds of our youth and promote increased illegal drug use. I’m here to tell you why this is not the case, and why having a dispensary in our town is not all that bad.

For one, this dispensary would be for purely medicinal use, not recreational, like the ones seen in Colorado. In order to purchase marijuana from one of these proposed dispensaries, one would have to have a medical card permitting their purchase. This would eliminate the possibility of marijuana getting into the wrong hands. It would however make it more convenient for those living in laguna who need the medicine.

In addition, unlike the consumption of alcohol, not a single person has overdosed as a result of smoking marijuana. The World Health Organization reports that alcohol and tobacco products are responsible for 2.5 million deaths annually across the globe. Surprisingly, the consumption of alcohol and tobacco related products remains legal while marijuana is not.

Furthermore, marijuana is primarily used to alleviate many medical ailments. In the US alone, over two million people use medicinal marijuana to help treatment some sort of illness. Finally, the addition of a marijuana dispensary in Laguna would save the local government money. Money spent upholding the prohibition on marijuana could be used in countless other ways to better our town. Also tax revenue would be created from the selling of marijuana which, in turn, would make money for our town. For the reasons I’ve put before you, as well as many others, I believe that the benefits of adding a medical marijuana dispensary in Laguna greatly outweigh the risks.