Councilor: Make pot legal in Scottsville

A Scottsville town councilor is hoping to send a clear message to the federal government: Loosen up on marijuana.

Town Councilor Bebe Williams said he believes pot could help Scottsville weather the economic downturn, were it legal.

“It would be like brewing beer in a way, but I would think of it as fulfilling a need of a legalized substance that after it’s approved by the government we can be involved in the manufacturing of.”

If re-elected May 4, Williams said, he will push a town resolution calling on the federal government to legalize weed. And in this bucolic small town in southern Albemarle, he’s not alone in supporting pot: The majority of Town Council candidates say they want marijuana to be 100 percent legal.

“I’m not going to push the issue,” said 27-year-old Town Council candidate Brandon Maupin. “If it comes up and I have to make a decision … then yeah, I’ll make it legal.”

“Let private businesses make a dollar off it and let the government reap the tax benefits,” Maupin said.

Ron Smith, 60, said he favors legalization of marijuana with strict controls by the state.

“Like alcohol,” Smith said.

“Maybe — this is just kind of like wishful thinking — if marijuana was controlled like alcohol is, maybe we wouldn’t have the illegal growing anymore,” Smith said, adding that his daughter is a federal agent responsible for marijuana field raids. “So people like my daughter wouldn’t have to go out and risk her safety.”

Smith said he doesn’t think it would make sense to have marijuana on grocery store shelves. Instead, it could be controlled statewide similarly to liquor at ABC stores and the state could benefit from the tax revenue.

“I’ve never used it. I don’t plan to use it. But at the same time, if the state can make money off it and control it in a way that it does alcohol I would not be against legalization,” Smith said. “Probably more drunk drivers have killed people than people who have smoked marijuana.”

Maupin said he supports legalization of marijuana because he believes in limited government and because businesses could make a profit, while the government benefits from new taxes.

“I’m not a user of it, but I’m not about to tell another man what he can and can’t do, especially something that comes out of God’s green Earth anyway,” Maupin said, adding that he would like only private businesses to get into the game of selling it, but with tight government regulations.

Williams said that he thinks there could be potential for the government to have a direct hand in the manufacturing of pot. He said that the Hyosung tire plant, which recently closed in Scottsville, might be a good place for its manufacture.

“My take is if it becomes in the hands of government or businesses or organization, that would alleviate the crime part,” Williams said.

As for concerns about marijuana’s potential health effects, Williams said, “Everybody’s got to use their own logic.”

As to whether he’d smoke marijuana if it were legal, Williams says, “Yeah, sure, I’d try it.”

Whether he currently smokes: “I don’t have access to it now. I mean, I don’t know where I would get it.”

Council candidate Lisa Roberson, who is also waging a write-in campaign for mayor, said she is leaning in favor of legalization of marijuana. She said that it’s important to jump into these discussions early.

“Get in line, because it’s going to happen at some point,” she said of marijuana becoming legal. “As leaders of the community, we should be prepared to deal with those issues when they come up and not wait for the federal government to make it an issue.”

Dan Gritsko, another of the eight candidates running for the six opens seats on the council, said there are far more important issues to be discussing, such as the economy. He called the talk about the legalization of marijuana “silly.”

“When I think about what should be done for the future, I really think about kids and what sets a good example for children and what is good in our society. Legalizing marijuana is certainly not in that category,” he said. “I don’t even know why that issue is something that is even being talked about.”

Smith said he would support the legalization of marijuana in Scottsville only if is allowed statewide. Otherwise, Smith said, everyone would “flock to Scottsville to buy their grass. Yeah, we don’t want that to happen.”