The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

To The Eagle:

In all the posturing, hyperbole, and hysteria down at the courthouse since the announcement of plans for a couple of legal pot farms on Puget Island, the recurring mantra from the prohibitionists is, “We’ll be sending the wrong message” if we allow these marijuana growing operations in the county. Well, here’s the news: The wrong message is already being sent, and you’re the ones sending it.

You are telling the kids that we don’t trust them to refrain from pulling a break-and-enter job to abscond with a few plants, process ‘em, and descend into reefer madness. You’re telling parents and school teachers and church leaders that they are failing in the job and that we need a police state to keep our kids off dope. You are telling the enterpreneurs involved, Kehrli, Bianchi, and Rizzolo, that they aren’t smart enough to arrange their own security and protect their product from theft, and you are telling the citizens of this county that you have no intention of complying with a law that came from a citizens’ initiative, was approved by a strong majority of voters, and has a 58 percent approval rating in national polls.

On the matter of security -- the State of Colorado requires secure fencing, alarms, 24 hour surveillance cameras, and tagging and computer tracking of each individual plant; Washington will probably come up with something similar. Our brave entrepreneurs are going to be putting a lot of capital at risk with a lame promise from the federal department of justice to hold their laws in abeyance, in a state that is often legally capricious, and in a county that has now proved to be a bit reactionary -- you can bet your bippy they are going to be paying attention to security.

We have watched helplessly for more than three decades as government meddling has all but destroyed our timber, fishing, and dairy industries. Now we have a law that actually allows us to produce a potentially profitable product, and three guys willing to take the ball and run with it. How about we give ‘em our thanks and support instead of a bunch of flak.

Howard Brawn, Puget Island