Voter's Pamphlet hazy on marijuana definition

To The Eagle:

Prospective voters on Initiative Measure 502 who read the full 17 page text (Voter's Pamphlet, pages 100-117) will notice the deceptively included legalization of hashish as well as marijuana.

Hashish is a product of the hemp plant (cannabis), not a "product of marijuana" as implied on page 101 (Part II, Sec. 2, p(2), paragraph beginning '"Marijuana" or "marihuana" means..')

Hashish derives from the resin scraped from the flowering tops. It is a more serious hallucinogen, yet in this elaborate proposition it is mentioned only where its paraphernalia are legalized on page 107 (Part III, Sec. 23--the underlined area at the bottom left).

A bit of history: the words "hashish" and "assassin" are closely related. The "Old Man of the Mountain," an Islamic fanatic of Crusading centuries in the Near East, primed his murderous followers as much as Vietnamese youngsters were doped for combat in Southeast Asia.

James T. Culbertson

Cathlamet