Towns should send a message on marijuana

So, recreational marijuana will soon be legal in Illinois. But as the Daily Herald helpfully reminds us in their lead article on June 17 and in their editorial on June 19, there's nothing to stop local cities, towns or villages from outlawing the sale of marijuana within their own city limits.

Communities have done just that with things like video gambling and various "adult" businesses, so why not add marijuana to the list?

Wouldn't it be great if a significant number of Illinois communities chose not to profit from this deadly trade? If you are a city council member and have opposed the legalization of marijuana, why not do the courageous thing and vote against allowing its sale in your jurisdiction?

As for the rest of us, let's let our city officials know where we stand. One of the worst things about legalizing marijuana is the message it sends to young people, that getting high is no big deal. Keeping it off the store shelves in your municipality may mean foregoing a few tax dollars, but it will get the message to your children that smoking dope is not a good thing.

Bill Deckard

Winfield