Legalizing pot one of worst things we've done

Have our state legislators and their supporters lost their minds? Anyone with half a brain can do a little research and find that all the major health organizations in the U.S. tell us that marijuana is at least as harmful to one's health as tobacco and most say it is worse by a large measure.

Why in the world would anyone, especially our elected legislators, want to make it easier for people to smoke or otherwise ingest marijuana? Name one, just one, redeeming virtue of legalizing recreational marijuana? Can't do it because there are none? Just a minute. There is one, to raise more taxes.

Who do you think will buy most of this illicit product? Just look at the experience in Colorado where Denver County has 13% of the population, but consumes 34% of recreational marijuana. Where do you suppose most of the marginalized population in Colorado live? Denver, of course. Common sense tells one that most of the recreational marijuana will be purchased by our marginalized population. Great.

Legalizing recreational marijuana is one (but not the only one) of the most hypocritical, unfair, cruel, cynical, devious, immoral, harmful, counterproductive things our state government has done, and I fear more is to come.

Roland G. Ley

Arlington Heights