Should We Legalize Marijuana?

Last year Colorado legalized recreational marijuana usage. The voters came to the polls and their voices were heard. They wanted marijuana.  That is their choice. I disagree with it. I think voting may have been different in Colorado were it  not for the lack of factual reporting from organizations such as NORML and other grassroot movements instrumental in the legalization of marijuana. They make statements and arguments based on fallacies and half-truths. Here are some of the more common ones:

1.      Marijuana is not addictive –It may be less addictive than other drugs, but long-term usage of cannabis does result in addiction for some people, both physiological and psychological.

2.       Marijuana comes from a plant – Yes, but so does cocaine and heroin. In all 3 cases, the plants are altered by man. People are not smoking ditch weed. They are smoking cannabis genetically engineered to have high Delta 8 and Delta 9 content. Those are the chemicals that cause the “high” experienced by users.

3.      Marijuana never killed anyone – Not directly, but people still die because of situations involving marijuana. It also kills motivation. Not a positive thing, considering the obesity epidemic we have.

4.      Would you rather have someone behind the wheel drunk or high – This argument pretends that there is not another choice. I choose the driver who is neither drunk or stoned!

5.      Marijuana isn’t dangerous– Marijuana  impacts memory and learning. Does this happen in all people? I don’t know. I do know that cigarettes greatly increase the risk of getting cancer but not everyone who smokes cigarettes will get cancer. It just makes it more likely. And speaking of cancer………..

6.      Marijuana cures cancer – Than no one who smokes marijuana has cancer, right? Wrong! There are studies linking cannabis to increased risk of bladder, testicular and lung cancer.  

7.      Marijuana is medicine - There are some chemical compounds, such as cannabidiol (CBD), that have proven medicinal uses and have medicines derived from them. Most of the chemicals in cannabis do not have medicinal value.

8.      Marijuana isn’t bad for you like cigarettes – Marijuana contains over 50 carcinogens. A carcinogen is defined as a substance or agent causing cancer. That sounds bad to me. Also, see #6

9.      Marijuana legalization will cut down on crime – Contrary to what you heard, crime is not down. Although if marijuana made up 50% of  drug arrests in Colorado before legalization it should be. Here is an article about Crime post-legalization: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-a-sabet-phd/crime-is-up-in-colorado-w_b_5663046.html  

10.   Youth will use less – By making it easier for youth to obtain and more socially acceptable, they will use less? That has not worked very well with alcohol and prescription drugs.

This is just a partial list of common arguments used to justify the legalization of marijuana and they are the 10 I hear most often. I hope if nothing else this opens up dialogue. Which side do you stand on, and why? I would be interested to hear your experiences and thoughts on this subject.