I would like to address the letter “Sorry To See Buckley a home to marijuana sales” (Courier-Herald, Oct. 8) by F.T. Kane of Buckley.

I looked up the article published in the American Family Physician in 1999. The first thing I read was their disclaimer which said, “Please Note: This information was current at the time of publication. But medical information is always changing and some information here may be out of date. For regularly updated information on a variety of topics, please visit familydoctor.org, the AAFP patient education web site.” Which you neglected to take into consideration. So, let me help.

I researched the authors. John R. Hubbard, M.D., Ph.D. in psychiatry, has gone on to publish, Outline Of Data Structures and The Science Of Dental Ceramics. Nothing for Sharon E Franco, M.D., but Emmanuel S Onaivi, Ph.D. in philosophy, did published in 2005 a book titled “Marijuana and Cannabinoid Research Methods and Protocols.” His book is available on Amazon for $149 (less for used) and is located next to “Cannabis Health Index” (Uwe Blesching 2013) and “Marijuana, Gateway To Health” (Clint Warner 2011) which seems to indicate he has changed his thinking.

I get it. People will believe anything. “Reefer Madness,” a marijuana propaganda film, 1936, petrified citizens for decades. But in the age with knowledge at our fingertips I am perplexed that a 15-year-old post grad report could possibility be considered “definitive,” unless everyone just stopped thinking in 1999. Fortunately for all of us, we haven’t.

The only thing I do agree with is to follow the money trail; $1.53 billion is the 2013 estimate of the U. S. legal marijuana market. $6.17 million is the amount of tax revenue collected in Colorado in two months with $98 million projected for the next fiscal year and $40 million of that going to public school construction. Washington state recreational marijuana is projected to raise $190 million in taxes and fees over the next four years starting in 2015 as advised to our state government on budget and tax revenue. We’re not even talking about the revenue of medical marijuana which oddly enough is used to overcome many of the ailments cited in your outdated article. The only ones that should be unhappy with these figures are pharmaceutical companies and illegal drug dealers.

It costs our federal and state governments $17.4 billion every year in prohibition costs according to a 2010 study by Harvard University.

Sorry to see Buckley a home for marijuana sales? You should thank those responsible for drawing in much needed revenue to your area. And make no mistake, if regulated, legal sales weren’t available those that want it could still get it and that goes for our kids. By the way, I am permanently disabled even after many surgeries including brain surgery as a result of a car crash with a drunk driver at 10 a.m. Let me suggest you research the true statistics of fatal car crashes and consider putting some of your energy into tougher drunk driving laws.

M. Thornton

Enumclaw