The Debate About Marijuana

This piece was published in the Desest Dispatch on June 12, 2012 and can be viewed at this link:  http://www.desertdispatch.com/opinion/marijuana-13097-use-laws.html


There is a lot of emotion surrounding the issue of marijuana, but unfortunately too few facts.  Many people believe marijuana is legal in California.  Some believe marijuana is harmless or it is not as bad as some other substances.  Others believe marijuana is a gateway drug, leading many to lives of ruin, or it could be the savior of the California economy if we would just tax it.

I voted against the Compassionate Use Act because I have not been convinced science supports the use of marijuana as medicine.  I understand some people claim it provides them relief, and I do not seek to argue or attack them.  I simple am not convinced.  Having said that, the voters approved the Compassionate Use Act and I respect the will of the voters.

However, possession, use, cultivation and sale of marijuana continues to be a crime in California.  Just as there are laws concerning how to drive a car or build a house, there are laws a person must follow if s/he wants to enjoy the protection of the Compassionate Use Act. 

If the laws are ignored, the person's status changes from patient or caregiver to offender and they can be prosecuted.  It is in the interest of the patient to follow the law, just as it is in the interest of the community to insure drug dealers are not circumventing the law for profit or other illicit reasons.  It requires a balanced approach--not the hands off approach that seems to exist.

In an effort to better understand the issue, I recently visited a legitimate marijuana dispensary in Orange County and saw firsthand the steps they take to insure they are in full compliance with California law.  They are registered as a non-profit, mutual benefit cooperative and have a business license in the community where they operate.  They have employees, pay income tax, collect/pay sales taxes and have workers compensation insurance. Their office is secure, clean and well organized and is in a light industrial area far away from schools, parks and homes.  They inspect the recommendations from doctors to insure they are from properly licensed doctors, not internet quacks, and no drugs are used on the property.

As this debate continues, some people say using marijuana is "not as bad" as using alcohol.  "Not as bad" still means bad, i.e. harmful.  Doctors will tell you all drugs come with side effects, and marijuana is no exception.  Side effects of marijuana use include decreased short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired perception and motor skills, increased appetite, and decreased motivation with more serious side effects including panic, paranoia or acute psychosis. If an individual adult wants to experience these side effects, why should we care--where is the harm?

The harm comes when people who should be working cannot find work because they cannot pass a drug test and then seek public assistance so they can survive. The harm comes when people loose their jobs because of a lack of motivation that interferes with performance and again they seek public financial support.  The harm comes years later when the 400 chemicals in marijuana, cause additional health problems, for which society will again be asked to foot the bill. The harm comes when we make marijuana seem harmless and healthy, and we then find 1 in 10 high school students report they are "heavy" marijuana users--at a time when most would agree student performance is too low and dropout rates are too high.

I do not advocate taking anything away from seriously ill patients seeking a little relief from the misery of their conditions.  I do seek responsible behavior and a message that drug use comes with consequences.  I do advocate sending a clear message to our youth that drug use, in any form, cuts short the promise of the success and happiness each one deserves. 

I also advocate our police department taking a leading role in this effort, not just as enforcers of the law but as educators too.  It sends the wrong message to our community when a drug problem exists, as we recently saw with the dispensary on Main Street, and police leadership is silent instead of leading.

--RAH