Editor,

Regarding the Whidbey News-Times article titled, “Candidates take differing views on transit, marijuana,” I hate to remind a retired Navy CPO Rick Hannold he’s seeking election to a “representative” position.

Chief, on Nov. 6, 2012, the majority of your potential constituents voted “yes” for legalization of marijuana; using North Whidbey and Camano precinct voting data, 16,984 voted, 8,938 yes (52.6 percent), 8,046 no (47.4 percent).

Your opinion that marijuana is an entry-level drug is based on questionable data, but as you have issues with industries catering to vices, are you looking to criminalize tobacco and alcohol use in the county as well? Those are also two drugs that are also widely cited as “gateway” drugs.

For the record, there’s a growing body of data which shows that tobacco and alcohol use are the gateways to marijuana use.

Ben Honeycutt

Oak Harbor