Bummer 

Editor:

Kyana Taillon’s antiseptic images of the “upsides” [sic] of marijuana only serve to perpetuate the false notion that there are few negative effects from its cultivation and use (“New Year’s Eve,” Jan. 1).

Perhaps her promise to explore “some of the darker aspects” in the future might include a close-up of the thin, tear-stained face of a little girl with her stoner parents laughing in the background. Or how about the body of a poisoned raccoon next to a stream polluted by the chemicals used for grows? Maybe she can get a pretty studio shot of a couple who has just learned their life savings went up in smoke:  “And, yes, sometimes houses do burn down.”

Marijuana — it’s not all good, man.

— Patti D. Thomas, Arcata

*Sweet Spot: Patti Thomas wins a Bon Boniere sundae for sending our favorite letter of the week.*