Past delays leave Libby missing out once again

To the editor:

The article “Discussion of proposed retail cannabis rules blooms at Libby City Council” (Feb. 11) once again reveals outmoded attitudes and shortsighted incompetence among city leaders.

The town is riddled with casinos, where people drink and punch buttons for hours on end, bars from which people drive home drunk every night and known drug houses where you can buy anything you want.

But we need to maintain a “family friendly atmosphere” and restrict access to a relatively benign plant widely used for medical purposes that is now legal in one form or another in 37 states.

Never mind that 63 percent of the town's voters wanted to legalize it.

Now the state and county are raking in badly needed tax revenue from recreational sales. Libby? Not so much.

Because our leaders stalled when other towns granted approval early on, no new retail shops can open in city limits for 18 months. So people are just flocking to the three outlets just beyond those borders.

And the money keeps rolling in — but not for citizens of Libby.

David Ramel

Libby