I just read an article that I saw on Google News about the health effects of marijuana. The article stated that the legalization of marijuana will be on the ballots in November in California. And it makes me wonder, could this actually be a good thing? I know, you are thinking that I am a stoner writing this article, but no I am not. I cannot say that I have never tried marijuana, since I was once a college student. But, I am all grown up now and have a job that randomly drug tests. So, I have been drug free (except for the occasional prescription drug as necessary) for a very long time now.
The article I read goes into some of the health effects of marijuana. Of course, there is the whole issue of , you do stupid stuff when you are high. I am pretty sure that driving while high cannot be good, but according to the article I read, it is not as bad as drinking and driving. There is a factor as to the toxicity factor of marijuana, but I am guessing it cannot be too much worse than cigarettes and some food additives. The biggest factor may be the whole lack of motivation that comes with being high. Of course stoners do not have the option of not working because they have to have money to buy the marijuana and snacks.
I am thinking that if California legalizes marijuana, I will have to invest in some pizza and snack companies. I am guessing that junk food consumption would go up dramatically. This may be the answer to the obesity problem in this country also. Thinking back to my stoner friends in college, most of them where rock star thin. No obesity problems there, even though they were out eating everyone else. Hmmm. Also, having a teen myself, I would feel a whole lot better knowing that he could go down to the local pot shop and buy regulated marijuana (not laced with anything) if he decided to dabble in it. And no, I am not promoting teens getting high, but we all know that some teens rebel and if they are going to do it, let them be safe about it and buy it from a legal shop rather than from some questionable character in a shady location. I could probably invest in the pot shop chain too ($).
The biggest positive that I see is that legalizing marijuana brings it to a point where it can be taxed (good for the economy) and it takes away power from drug lords. And if you don't think drug lords are a problem, go interview anybody from Arizona and they will tell you what is really going on at our borders. Oh, I forgot the advantage that if marijuana is easy to get, then maybe crack and meth will go away. I am sick of hearing about houses being destroyed by meth labs. At least grow houses can be environmentally friendly.
Feel free to leave comments, I am sure you have something to say about the topic.
I'm for it for a few reasons.
ReplyDeleteYou already mentioned the tax. If tobacco cigarattes can alreay fetch $7 per pack, there's no reason to expect that marijuana cigarettes couldn't be easily sold for $10-12 per pack, with all of that extra tax money being explicitly earmarked for public school funding - part of which could be specifically used to ramp up on anti-marijuana education.
Also, think of the boon to farmers! They'd have a can't-miss crop that would be profitable for American farmers - and not require government subsidies the way corn does.
And legalizing the stuff would cut off the illegal drug traffic flow at the knees. If I can buy a product that's proudly touted as "legally made in American," what leg will south of the border growers have to stand on? See many contraband tobacco pushers on the street corners?
Mind you, I don't smoke anything - tobacco or otherwise - never have and I don't approve of it. But being married to a former smoker, I'm a bit more sensitive to the way that smokers are treated. If we demonized Bud Light drinkers the way we do cigarette smokers, there'd be riots in the streets! Yet, how often do you hear about smoking drivers causing fatal accidents? I'd say alcohol deserves the red-headed stepchild treatment far more than tobacco. You've got a nasty Catch-22 looming ahead - how can we legalize marijuana and say it's okay to smoke that, yet continue to villify tobacco smoking? I think we're going to have to educate against it, but stop treating those who still opt to use it as social pariah.
It sounds like you and I are on the same page on this issue. Thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeleteWe spend too much money "ware-housing" citizens. (making up laws to fill prisons owned by the governor's brother) Legalizing Mary J would help the economy by cutting cost to keep users in prisons and by keeping parents in the community
ReplyDeleteworking and caring for their families. No one talks about the devastation to American Families caused by Marijuana Prohibition. The working class are forced to be urine tested before employment. Hard drug users can pass the urine tests, pot smokers can't. That has limited the income of countless families.
Arresting citizens for marijuana use, causes children to go to state care.
Legalize it, empty out the jails, regulate it, tax it and start building schools and treatment centers.