Pot potency, capital punishment, national parks, electric vehicles

Don’t over-regulate recreational pot

Re “Regulate potency in pot before legalizing it” (Forum, Aug. 21): Any attempt to regulate the potency – the THC level – of cannabis will just keep the black market thriving and the drug cartels profiting. Environmental disasters due to rogue growers will not be curtailed.

The author says he researched his story, but he compares cannabis to alcohol and opiates? Marijuana is nowhere near as addicting, and no one has ever died from excessive cannabis intake.

Decades of research point to a variety of medical uses for this unique compound, including pain relief, relief from PTSD, nausea and vomiting, as well as appetite stimulation, and benefits for asthma, glaucoma and as a sleep aid. The much revered Rick Simpson Oil used as a cure for cancer contains a high level of THC.

I do agree with Sam Quinones that “legalizing marijuana needs to happen,” but not with his concept of regulating the THC level.

Prohibitionist’s misinformation

The higher the THC content in cannabis, the smaller amount required to be ingested for the desired effect. It is wrong to compare substances that have lethal doses, such as alcohol and opiates, to cannabis, which does not.

End prohibition and there will be no reason to buy cannabis from criminals. In California, we have developed hundreds of mom-and-pop growers. We are not going back to Mexican weed no matter how hard the government tries to force a return.

The misinformation spread by the prohibitionists will only get more prevalent as more people come to believe it is time for prohibition to end.

A different view of life sentences

Re “A macabre and failed system of justice” (Forum, Dan Morain, Aug. 21): I am the mother of James Laskey Ramirez, who was murdered in 2006. His three murderers were convicted and received “life without parole.” Families who request the death penalty for the murders of their family might feel differently.

Sometimes you don’t know how heinous the crimes are until you sit in a courtroom for weeks, not counting the 80-plus court appearances you endure before the trial and listen to heartbreaking details of all the felonies committed by these people. Do you know what that does to those left to grieve?

We try every day to make sense of our loss and gather one time a year on Sept. 23, displaying pictures of our sons and daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters on the steps of the Capitol of California and remember the lives taken from us by murder.

Morain makes case for death penalty

Dan Morain’s portrait of Lawrence Bittaker highlighted why California needs to mend, not end, the death penalty. Bittaker was sentenced to death in 1981 for the torture, rape, kidnapping and murder of numerous girls. The Supreme Court unanimously affirmed his death sentence. Yet, he has languished on death row for more than 25 years with Californians footing the bill to feed, clothe, house and provide him with health care.

There is no doubt about his guilt. While I believe death row criminals deserve their right to appeal, Bittaker has exhausted his and now it is time for the families of the girls to receive justice.

Our death penalty system is broken, but with well-thought-out changes provided by Proposition 66, it can be fixed. Vote “No” on 62. Vote “Yes” on 66 to ensure the death penalty in California works.

She’s ready to throw the switch

It is really sad when death row inmates get better medical care than real working people. Sorry, I’m from Florida and I could make 726 openings on death row starting today.

One way to solve the problem

The only thing wrong with the death penalty is that crybabies are in charge of it. The electric chair running 24/7 until all current “stock” is gone fixes the problem.

A tribute to national parks

Re “Memories and magic of Yosemite” (Forum, Aug 21): I was a seasonal park ranger in Yellowstone National Park and Everglades National Park. The wonders that I saw. As I share in blowing out the candles on the National Park Service’s 100th birthday cake, I’m always aware how fragile our government’s overall attention is to our most important resource. The government spends billions for weapons and dimes for our national heritage.

PG&E’s view on electric vehicles

Re “Flaws in PG&E’s proposal for electric vehicle chargers” (Viewpoints, Aug. 21): For those who seriously support advancing clean transportation in California, as The Utility Reform Network said it does, the question is not whether more EV charging infrastructure is needed, but how much and by when?

PG&E’s role is to develop infrastructure to meet California’s energy needs. PG&E proposes building 7,600 charging stations – a fraction of what is needed to meet state climate and clean air goals based on national research.

We are focusing on multiunit dwellings and workplaces, where charging access is still hard to come by. Further, we’re dedicating 15 percent of installations and $5 million for innovative EV programs in disadvantaged communities – across Northern and Central California, not just in the San Francisco Bay Area.

As for timing? Many EV drivers like myself agree: We needed the infrastructure yesterday.

Parker is reaching for straws

Re “Finding something nice to say about Trump” (Viewpoints, Aug. 21): Kathleen Parker is reaching for straws to suggest that Donald Trump employing a woman in his campaign marks a deep change in his personality. Surely Parker realizes that he puts on a new suit every morning.

This story was originally published August 26, 2016 at 8:32 AM with the headline "Pot potency, capital punishment, national parks, electric vehicles."