Council’s marijuana decisions mock the will of the voters

Recent articles in the Kent Reporter on marijuana stores, medical and recreational, are thankfully illuminating the malfeasance of the majority of City Council members.

Recent articles in the Kent Reporter on marijuana stores, medical and recreational, are thankfully illuminating the malfeasance of the majority of City Council members.

The majority of the voters of the city of Kent voted in favor of legalizing marijuana. That should be sufficient direction to the council to implement that legislation in this city, but members Bill Boyce, Les Thomas, Jim Berrios and Dana Ralph apparently hold their personal beliefs on the issue higher than those of we who hired them. Their dictatorial votes are an affront to the voters who employ them and are a travesty in a democracy.

On the issue of medical marijuana stores they, once again, put their personal views above the voters and in total denial of science, either willfully or based upon ignorance of the science of this medical herb. The medical benefits of marijuana are very well documented, peer reviewed and a matter of public record. They might want to review the papers and patent on the medical benefits of marijuana at the National Institute of Health, yes, we the people of these United States own this patent. It is science based, not belief based as members Boyce, Thomas, Berrios and Ralph apparently operate … against the voters of this city once again.

So, Boyce, Thomas, Berrios and Ralph, let’s hear your reasoning for this continued affront to the voters and ignorance of science. If you stand silent, you tacitly agree that you put personal beliefs above the will of the voters as well as denying science. Your collective highly immoral action of restricting access to natural medicines that heal is reprehensible and is an action condemned by several major religions that I’m aware of.

And in addition, Boyce, Thomas, Berrios and Ralph are setting a horrible example to our youth by those in positions of power demonstrating the suppression of voter directives. Voter apathy is based on this very thing and you four members set yourselves up as examples of leadership? What a joke.

– Paul Nickelson


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