Humboldt Has a Meth Problem, Not a Pot Problem

Astute Eureka resident Robert Barker has a fantastic opinion piece in the Eureka Reporter today. He says our community is under attack by tweekers and methamphetamines, not marijuana growers, and he wonders why our local law enforcement agencies are allowed to bust so many pot growers while meth busts seem to happen only when a CHP gets lucky enough to find some tweek during a routine traffic stop.

"Why would any law enforcement organization spend time on pot when it has this real enemy of mankind staring it directly in the face? I say we need stiffer penalties for dealers and more education and awareness of the effects of this evil substance. Intervention and education are the only bulwarks that have some chance of positive results.

This community is under attack not by marijuana, but by the demon of speed. We see the vast differences in the faces of the tweekers compared to pot smokers, and it is like night and day. People who smoke pot exclusively and do not partake in the harder substances are usually decent citizens who work and contribute to the community, not strip it bare as tweekers do."

And he couldn't be more correct. Sure, some pot growers are greedy jerks who evade taxes and do nothing for the community, but at least they aren't committing crimes to support their habit or trashing our parks and alleys. And don't forget that there are still many, many responsible marijuana gardeners who work day jobs, pay taxes, and act responsibly in the community.

Think about it. If Humboldt County didn't have marijuana, it would be a freaking ghost town! There is no question that pot supports our meager economy, and without the cash jobs that the marijuana industry provides to our community there is no way we could support the number of people who are currently living in this beautiful Redwood Nation. Come on, we have a decaying infrastructure and a serious lack of real industry. Except for marijuana, which employs thousands of locals year-round and makes it possible for them to pay the incredibly high prices for necessities like gasoline and food.

Let's wage war on meth, not pot.