Editor:
I am writing this in response to author Phillip Kopp’s recent article regarding his struggles with smoking medicinal marijuana. I have held a friendship with the author for the past year, and I was let down when the article made no mention of the author’s own personal struggle with marijuana before getting medical authorization.
In the interest of responsible journalism, I was puzzled when the article gave off the vibe of Phil miraculously finding an aid in medical marijuana when all other options were exhausted. In reality, Phil has had a past of smoking pot as a method of dealing with his personal problems. This is his own private battle, and I respect him for dealing with it well.
However, in the article he complained of the “conservative” belief that people who smoke medicinal marijuana are simply potheads. This is just not true. The reality is that college students, conservative and liberal alike, are sick of seeing their friends ruining their educational futures and livelihoods at the expense of pot addiction.
I am currently chair of College Republicans at Bakersfield College, and I greatly respect individuals who have medical license to ease their suffering via cannabis. However, if members of my political party are going to be stereotyped, I would urge that the accuser would look in his own personal mirror before casting judgment.
Kaitlin Hulsy
BC student