In a recent “Around The Water Cooler” panelists were asked “Given that Mexico is discussing legalizing marijuana, should California follow Colorado and Washington states and legalize the drug?”
While I’ve served on this panel for the last two years, I had to abstain this time because no matter what I said I couldn’t be comfortable with my answer. While I believe that there is nothing we should be doing simply because Mexico is discussing it, this issue raises such a conundrum for me that I could not honestly answer. I suspect there are a lot of people in the same boat.
I can intellectualize the issue and see that we could tax marijuana and create a new income stream for the state. I can understand that some of the penalties we have for criminal possession may be harsh and clogging our legal system with perpetrators of seemingly victimless crimes. I even found out that there are uses for marijuana that you probably have never dreamed of. Did you know it can be used to make industrial building materials and composite parts for cars? So, understanding the applications of its use and the potential benefits of decriminalization is not that difficult.
I can admit that philosophically, as a person who believes that the government should get out of our lives as much as possible, it is difficult to justify why something that many people would like to enjoy in the privacy of their own homes should be criminalized. Of course, that could apply to anything really. And, I have to wonder what the real effects of legalization would be when the Drug Enforcement Administration under the Obama Administration has done more to crack down on marijuana than most of its predecessors.
So, what is my conundrum? Well, first a disclosure. I’m a product of growing up in the ’80s – what can I say, I guess Nancy Reagan got to me. Personally, I’ve always just said no. But, I have spent a considerable amount of time around people who have not. And, I think the hesitation is because I just don’t like what I’ve seen. It would be one thing if these were occasional users who had absolutely no effect on anyone else around them. I mean, who would I be to deny them their personal choices? But, that’s not what I’ve seen.
First, let’s dispel one of the biggest myths in support of legalization – that marijuana is not an addictive drug. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 10% of users a physical dependency actually does develop. But, beyond the physical, I’ve seen addiction of another kind. I’ve seen users who absolutely have to have that next smoke, even if their body does not crave it. I’ve seen users make choices that put their family and friends at risk all for the sake of making sure they had that next joint, essentially choosing marijuana over their families. I’ve personally seen users who have spent what little money they had on weed instead of much needed groceries. I’ve seen entire personalities become altered. People who were once ambitious, sharp, and engaging, became lazy, dull, and withdrawn.
So, while it might not cause a physical dependency, don’t tell me it’s not addictive, I’ve seen otherwise. And we want to make this easier to get for more people? I just don’t get it.
The comparison to alcohol in our society when it comes to legalization cannot be denied, but I fail to see that as a persuasive argument on this issue. I fear that we’ve spent decades battling the ill effects of one legal drug, (youth consumption and drunk driving to name a few) only to trade any progress we’ve made by creating another front on which a similar battle will have to be fought. Already, according to NIDA, while youth alcohol consumption has declined, youth marijuana use is at an all-time high, and it’s not legal yet.
In the end, my observations, alright my bias, has nothing to do with the intellectual or legal ramifications of legalization, but has everything to do with the realities I’ve seen develop from the use of this drug. The conundrum here is between rationalizing and moralizing the issue, and I’m just not ready to make the choice.
