In the Mail Today

[Chuck]

This letter (not email) was mailed today to Rosalyn Dance 63rd
district of Virginia, Henty L. Marsh State Senator District 16, Jim
Webb Virginia U. S. Senator, Mark Warner Virginia U. S. Senator and
Randy Forbes Virginia U. S. Congressman. I am moving towards meetings
with my legislators.

My name is Charles Johnson; I am a Navy Veteran and a retired federal
law enforcement officer. I also worked at the state level in law
enforcement prior to my military experience. Over my 26 plus years of
service I have seen many things. I have interacted with every kind of
criminal you can imagine, every kind! I’ve seen grown men curled up in
a fetal position crying and in pain from drug addiction. I’ve seen
heroin over doses first hand. I’ve carried wounded comrades on
stretchers. I saw first hand the bombing of one of our embassies while
deployed over seas. Of all the place and things I’ve seen I never saw
or heard of a marijuana overdose or a marijuana addict.
I always encourage citizens young and old to abstain from
any illegal activity including marijuana use. I am however an advocate
of marijuana reform. Based on what I have and have not seen I am
seeking the support of other citizens and legislators in dispelling
myths about marijuana and changing drug laws where they pertain to
marijuana use by adults. I see the myths as:

1. Marijuana is like meth, crack/cocaine or heroin and should be a
schedule I
narcotic.
There has never been a marijuana overdose or addict ever.
2. Marijuana has no medicinal value.
The FDA approved a drug called marinol which is synthetic
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
3. Industrial hemp is the same as other plants in the genus
cannabis
(marijuana).
Hemp has less than 1% THC yet it is classified along with marijuana
because it is in the genus family cannabis. This plant can be used to
make paper, construction materials, clothing, plastic and an endless
supply of other environmentally friendly products. Hemp is an
excellent alternative to tobacco in our country and poppies in places
like Afghanistan.
4. The war on drugs is a success.
The war on drugs is an immense failure. It is a war on citizens with
an inexcusable amount of collateral damage (marijuana victims).

I see the change we need as simply treating marijuana as we do alcohol
and hemp as a commodity. Our current laws provide marijuana to
citizens including our youth on nearly every street corner in America.
In this way we make available to citizens including our youth every
illegal substance and activity imaginable. We are placing hard working
tax paying other wise law abiding people in the presence of persons
involved in criminal enterprises. We are building prisons and locking
up non violent citizens at a greater rate than any country in the
world.

We need legislation to allow medical marijuana, prevent responsible
citizens from incarceration for possession of marijuana and allow the
farming of hemp.

Thank you for your valued time,
Charles Johnson
Dinwiddie, Va.