Kurt Johnson

Iowa View contributor

Jamaica, Iowa, mayor LaDonna Kennedy and her husband were busted Jan. 16 about 4:20 p.m. (no joke) on allegations of growing 18 marijuana plants inside their home. The various related charges include a Class "D" felony for the manufacture and possession with intent to deliver less than 50 kilograms of marijuana.

It's a shame that our laws in Iowa still make it a crime to do something that is peaceful, voluntary, and uses no force or fraud against others. Marijuana prohibition laws do little to make our state safer, and yet do great harm to people who are victimized by them.

In this case, if these two people are found guilty of the felony, they could be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison, be required to pay up to $7,500, lose their voting rights, be disqualified for military service or student loans, and more. Compare that to the fact that nothing happens to a person in her home who is found to be brewing 5 gallons of beer — a standard home-brew batch — and possessing, say, 10 to 20 more gallons that were brewed earlier.

Marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol, and yet today we see the same unintended consequences resulting from drug prohibition that we saw from alcohol prohibition in the 1920s and early 1930s: violence, deaths from impure products, and the arrest and punishment of people who are otherwise honest and peaceful.

Make no mistake, the violence associated with the illegal drug trade is caused by prohibition laws. If Walgreens moves into a community, CVS doesn't send out a gang to kill them. When drugs are delivered to a pharmacy, both parties don't carry weapons to protect themselves. Instead, they call the police if someone uses violence against them. But you can't can't call the police for help if you're dealing in illegal drugs.

We need to follow the trend in other states and around the world: Legalize recreational marijuana and treat addiction using a medical model, just like alcohol. Let your elected representatives know your feelings. That is the way to get these unjust laws changed.

Kurt Johnson, retired, is a lifelong resident of Iowa, and was an officer and part owner of both Hammer Medical Supply and Medicap Pharmacies, Inc. He blogs at www.libertarianperspectives.com.