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[The water cooler - What Eastsiders are talking about - By Ann Garretson]

"Do you support the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes?"
(asked at the Kirkland Library on 09-23-97; published in the EJ on 09-28-97)


[pt.]Steve Boyd, Library assistant, Edmonds
[blue rule]
"I do, for medicinal purposes. But, say, for legalization -- I don't support that because it's a controlled substance. It's not a positive for society. But for medical things, it's okay."

[pt.]Terese Tubbs, Chiropractic office manager, Kirkland
[blue rule]
"Yes. I think it helps some people... and they should be able to use it. I think they'll control it -- that's the whole idea."

[pt.]June Cano, Full-time mom, Redmond
[blue rule]
"My first inclination would be yes. But I think it would have to be pretty carefully controlled. I have a child and I don't want her to think I'd be advocating drug use because I'm not. But I think a physician and the patient should be able to decide. I have confidence in my physician to decide."

[pt.]Michael Goins, Retired salesman, Kirkland
[blue rule]
"No. It leaves the door open to too many other ills that I don't even want to get into. If they legalize it, they legalize it, and that's that. I think the intentions are humane, but I do think it's the start of a slippery slope."

[pt.]Clayton Sumpter, Retired engineer, Gig Harbor
[blue rule]
"No. I'm against drugs of any kind, including nicotine, and alcohol -- even though I drink a little -- and especially hard drugs. And I consider marijuana a hard drug because even though people say it's fairly benign, it's often a precursor to other drugs like cocaine and heroin."

[pt.]Diane Bark, Homemaker, Redmond
[blue rule]
"I support it because I feel that if it gives people comfort from the pain -- if they have a medical need for it -- then they should be able to have it. I'm not really worried about the legalization of marijuana. I think the concern about legalization is a point to get people to not vote for medicinal use."

 

[blue rule]

© 1997 by the Bellevue, WA-based Eastside Journal (née Journal American) newspaper.

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