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Editor:

Have you ever made a hasty decision to later find you didn’t have all the facts that could have led to a better decision? Sure, we all have. I hope (and pray) we voters do not rush into legalizing marijuana.

I appreciate the Record-Herald in devoting many pages to printing pros and cons about this issue and copies of the ballots we will have to decide this issue.

In a front page article by Craig Kelly “Is Ohio going to pot?” Kelly tells that Ohio will be the first state east of the Mississippi River to legalize marijuana. Do we really need that distinction? Kelly goes on to say that in the four states that have legalized it, they first legalized the medical use of marijuana, then later legalized the recreational use of the drug. “But Ohio is going all in and all at once.” Is that a smart thing to do? Once legislation is passed it is hard to get it changed. It would be much better to slow down and give more thought to issues like these.

I’m willing to read and study about medical uses for marijuana before making a qualified decision, but on the recreational use of marijuana, let’s really think about what we already know.

I appreciate another article that the Record-Herald ran by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. Mr. DeWine went to Colorado and spoke with several diverse groups about legalizing marijuana. He spoke to business people, local, state and federal law enforcement, and a leading physician at Children’s Hospital in Denver. Their message was “Don’t Legalize Marijuana.”

How many times have we seen the pictures of druggies and drug dealers on the front page of the paper that have been “busted” right here in conservative Fayette County? And keep in mind, we do not see the faces of the many people, teens and older, that have overdosed. Do we really want to add more drugs? Aren’t we having a hard enough time fighting the heroin problem here in Fayette County?

Think of what the added drugs would mean to law enforcement. I feel they are already swamped trying to fight the existing drug problems, let alone adding marijuana into the mix.

If you haven’t voted yet, get a copy of what is on the ballot and read all of it – especially on issue three. I believe you will see all the potential problems this will add. I’m thankful for the free speech we have to express our opinions.

Mary Estle

Local citizen

Don’t rush into legalizing pot

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