Dear Editor: Whitehall Should Hop on the Cannabis Tide

Dear Editor,

Yes, Virginia, federally speaking, cannabis/marijuana is STILL illegal!

However, that being said, there are at least 16 states in this Union that have legalized marijuana for recreational use, including our own beloved Montana and (GASP!) Washington, DC, the ONLY truly Federal District in this Union!

It should be noted that, even though cannabis has been legalized for medical use in a majority of states, the main reason is that said states have begun to realize how lucrative it is! That being said, I would like to get into the body of this letter with the introduction to a blog post I wrote over 10 years ago, after attending a forum over in Boze-Angeles;

“Marijuana, as it is probably most commonly known, or cannabis, has been at the center, especially of late, of much debate. The main focus of this article is whether or not it should be considered a viable alternative to the approved (FDA) medicines (drugs) that are prescribed by doctors every day, often to the detriment of the health of the patient. Looking at the greater picture, though, one must decide for oneself whether or not this pure herbal remedy for many of society’s ills should be pursued as a God-given alternative to the man-made and genetically altered substances that make up our almost daily existence.”

Some time ago, the notion of starting up a medical dispensary in our little town was broached. Like the forum I attended those many years ago, there were many arguments, both pro and con, about the wisdom of this idea. It should be noted here that this did occur before marijuana was legalized in Montana, at least, recreationally. Though it was medically legal, the motion did not pass. The prevailing argument, as I remember, was fear of the “criminal element” the dispensary might bring to our “safe” little community.

I’ve got some sad news for you, Sunshine. That criminal element is already here! Again though, it should be noted that we are not the only ones to deal with this issue (Google: Billings Cannabis Lawsuit). Now, back to our story...

Cannabis may still be federally illegal, but, as a sovereign state along with many others, Montana has deemed it legal within our borders. Now, as we saw with the rise and fall several years ago of the plethora of medical dispensaries around the state, the Feds have been known to come into our state and throw their weight around. As more states realize their own sovereignty, we might see less of that. We also might find ourselves in the midst of another Civil War.

Whether we like it or not, the day is coming when marijuana/cannabis will be legalized across the board. Currently, there are a few states which do not allow any form of cannabis. I would almost be willing to bet that five years won’t pass before we see even the Feds reassess their weakening position.

In the blog post, I mentioned earlier (https://charlesshank.blogspot.com/2010/09/cannabis-pure-herb-with-christ-like.html), there is much more information provided. I encourage you to look it up, but as I said, one must make up their own mind about it. In my opinion, though, it is the wave of the future, and Whitehall would be wise to climb on board this lucrative tide!

Charles Haddon Shank

Whitehall, Montana