Decriminalizing Marijuana Makes Matters Worse
By Barrett Duke
WASHINGTON --- "What has he been smoking?" This common expression illustrates how deeply the conversation about marijuana is embedded in popular culture. It is a subject of humor for many people. Such cultural penetration naturally leads to relaxed attitudes about marijuana. As attitudes relax, people are becoming open to arguments favoring decriminalizing its use.
Today, a vocal, passionate minority is using such arguments as personal freedom, health needs and our country's stalled war on drugs to advance this cause. The sincerity of these arguments notwithstanding, there is no justification for decriminalizing marijuana.
First, personal freedom must be tempered by personal and social responsibility. Decriminalization of marijuana will encourage destructive behavior in users and affect the entire nation. When users no longer fear arrest, they will have marijuana more often and use it more often. Inebriation is only part of the problem. Marijuana users have higher risks of numerous medical problems, including cancer, psychosis, strokes, respiratory damage and heart attacks.
They increase these risks with increased use. Additionally, increased use will lead to more personal and family problems. Work productivity will decrease as will employability. Such outcomes will put additional pressure on families, communities, businesses, health services and law enforcement.
Decriminalization likely will lead more people to try marijuana, especially impressionable, curious, young people, supposing that the government considers it safe. Most troubling is the prospect that more young people will begin a lifetime of drug addiction. It is known that teenagers who use drugs are more likely to develop lifetime drug dependencies.
Advocates cite a couple of surveys that say states with medical marijuana laws have steeper declines in overall marijuana use than states without them. There is not enough evidence that these early reports are accurate. But even if they are, and that's a big "if," they do not assist the cause of general decriminalization. The suggested reason for this supposed drop in overall usage is that people in these states think of marijuana as a medicine rather than as a recreational drug. If so, the medical marijuana argument does not support the broader decriminalization movement since it is not advocating for the medicinal use of marijuana but rather its recreational use.
Second, no medical arguments justify decriminalization, not even arguments that claim overall marijuana use declines when marijuana is treated as a medicine. Marijuana is a dangerous drug, with countless negative effects. While much more work needs to be done to determine its value for a limited range of carefully monitored, controlled, medical applications, like treating glaucoma or enhancing appetite, the rush to decriminalization in the name of pain control or mental health cannot be justified.
Most people who use marijuana to relieve severe pain combine it with stronger pain relievers because marijuana is not effective enough by itself. Furthermore, marijuana's pain-relieving ingredient has been available by prescription for years. The use of marijuana as a means to self-medicate one's mental health is also not justifiable. People dealing with depression need the regular care of a trained professional. If they require drugs, there are plenty of proven mood-altering ones available that do not introduce as many potential and likely problems as marijuana.
Smoking marijuana medicinally threatens to make bad situations worse for many users. Marijuana introduces multiple toxic chemicals into the systems of people whose bodies are already weakened from their ailments. Not only might these toxic chemicals interfere with the healing process, but users risk developing additional problems like those mentioned earlier.
Third, decriminalization will not solve our drug control problems. It will not rid us of the illicit drug trade. Since distribution would still be illegal, most people would have to resort to the illegal drug trade to obtain marijuana. Additionally, some people who use marijuana will want to try other drugs, fueling more illicit drug trade.
It will not empty our prisons of drug offenders, either. Very few people go to prison for possessing small amounts of marijuana. Marijuana possession at the time of their arrest might be a factor, but their sentencing is related to more serious offenses, like intent to sell drugs, robbery or violent crimes. It is likely that decriminalization will result in more people going to prison for drug-related crimes. In the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 32 percent of state prisoners and 26 percent of federal prisoners said they committed their offense while under the influence of drugs. Marijuana is the drug used most often in these instances. In a 2002 survey of inmates, 14 percent said they were high on marijuana and 11 percent said they were high on cocaine or crack at the time they committed their crimes.
It's possible that part of the reason we have not had more success ending rampant illicit drug abuse in our nation is the fact that 13 states have legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana for so-called medicinal purposes. Such counterproductive policies are the equivalent of drilling holes in the bottom of your boat while you are frantically trying to bail water. Instead of making drug use easier, we should redouble our efforts to warn people of the dangers of drug use, develop more effective rehabilitation programs for those who are convicted of drug possession, and increase our prosecution of those who supply the drugs. We are in a battle for the lives of millions of people. They deserve our best efforts, not our surrender.
Barrett Duke is vice president for public policy and research for the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. A version of this column first was published in The Washington Times.
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Mr. Barrett,
I find it interesting that we as humans, and perhaps most telling, we as Americans have this fantastic delusion about how free our country is. "Land of the Free", as it goes. The "Freest Nation on Earth".
Yet people like you ensure that these claims remain an illusion.
You talk about how cannabis represents a " health issue". Sir, I believe prison and felony records are far more "unhealthy" than an occasional smoke. Do you think that is why cannabis became illegal in teh first place? If you say yes, you are either stupid, ignorant or a lier. It was made illegal in order to allow the state and federal government control over ethnice populations. Nixon intensified his war on cannabis, despite the Schafer commisions recommendation that marijuana not be criminalized, simply because he did not care for "hippie war protestors", who were his political adversaries.
Today, cannabis remians illegal because of government's addiction to controlling people's morality, to feed a billion-dollar private prison industry, and to continue to fund massive federal bureau's who's only job is to imprison Americans.
I don't like drinking, Mr. Barrett. My body physically rejects it. I don't like your " legal drug", I'd rather do "ours". Marijuana is much less harmful to your health than booze or tobbacco, so all of your arguments stating cannabis should remain illegal because of health concerns are laughable. You don't care about my health, this is simply an excuse to maintain control over people who enjoy something that you quite frankly do not understand. If you did, your position would surely change.
In the end, cannabis consumers are just the latest group of people for some Americans and their government to kick around. Due to the sufferage movements, you can no longer keep women down. Due to the Civil Rights movement, you can no longer discriminate legally against minorities. Due to VA vs. Loving, you can no longer tell people they cannot marry someone of a different race. You were able to kick gays around, but they started fighting back and are making great strides in getting equal treatment.
So, you're left with kicking the "stoners" around. Have fun, pal, it isn't going to last very long.
People have been wary about coming out o fthe "cannabis closet" in teh past, afraid of what their conservative, miltaristic moralist government might do to them. But that fear is subsiding, sir, and teh cannabis legalization movement is just starting to flex it's muscle. You think we're a small group, but in fact we are very large. People now see that there is a movement, and are becoming less afraid to come out and voice their opinions. Frankly, it is only a matter of time before it is legalized.
And people like you will find that you were on teh wrong side of history all along. You are one of the oppresors, just like those who fought the abolisionist's movement, covil rights or gay marriage.
Someone that wants to put people in jail for smoking a little pot is simply evil. Wanting to wreck a young person's future ability to get a student loan because they smoked a little pot is evil. You think jail or a felony record isn't a big deal? Try it out yourself sometime. You jerk.
This article demonstrates why some "News with a Christian Perspective" actually deserves to be classified as Op-Ed. VP for Public Policy and Research? Your research is corrupt--you pull heavily from questionable sources, are overly selective in your examples, and deny recent scientific dialogue. You shamelessly condescend to those with serious ailments easily alleviated by cannabis , and ignore the inconvenient fact that the only reason cannabis is even thought of as a "gateway" kind of drug is because its illegality forces its sales into the hands of those who stand to profit more by selling their customers harder drugs.
In short, you have your head buried in the sand.
Jah rule!
I agree that "decriminalization" would only exacerbate black-market fueled crime and violence.
There will be no peace until prohibition is entirely abolished, and medical-grade cannabis is available to anyone with proof of adulthood wherever beer and cigarettes are sold.
http://tinyurl.com/Henningfield-Benowitz
http://www.google.com/search?&q=tashkin
To keep Cannabis illegal while tobacco and alcohol are dispensed freely is murderously stupid.
Mr. Duke is mistaken on several points. There is no REPEATABLE AND RELIABLE study that supports his claims as to the risks of Pot. His information is coming from studies conducted or funded by NIDA and the ONDCP, both of which are notorious for flawed methodology, word games and outright deception, such as the infamous PSA showing CT scans of people currently using extacy and claiming that they were images of permanent brain damage from pot use.
He claims that is is a dangerous drug and untested. Again, these are word games. Although untested by the FDA Cannabis has been around for 5000 years and is well documented as medicine in cultures on every populated continent in the world. It is impossible to die from an overdose and its effects as a recreational drug are much milder than alcohol . It cannot incapacitate a young girl so as to make her vulnerable to rape the way alcohol can. And it is most certainly safer than the pharmaceutical drugs he offers as an alternative. Read the side effects of most drugs and you will find that even Aspirin is more dangerous to the human body.
Read the FBI uniform crime reports and do some 5th grade math and you will find that 98.5% of people who try Cannabis NEVER go on to harder drugs. It is NOT a gateway drug.
He talks about balancing freedom with civic responsibility. How responsible is it to treat drug addicts like criminals for what is clearly a medical condition? How responsible is it for innocent people to keep dying in SWAT raids? How responsible is it to put parents in jail for years, destroying families and leaving their children to fend for themselves for a non violent act that is only a crime because it is defined as such by the government? The dangers and risks of Cannabis do not even remotely justify the horrible things that happen in the name of ending its use.
Mr. Duke has noble motives but is dead wrong. Its easier for our children to get illicit drugs than it is for them to get alcohol. Know why? Because liquor stores ask for ID and criminals do not. Why would we want to continue having the market in the hands of the criminals?
""What has he been smoking ?" "
- starting with something like that usually disqualifies you for anything. its poor, superficial and well, utterly stupid. but it shows where you come from. very effectively.
"Marijuana users have higher risks of numerous medical problems, including cancer , psychosis, strokes, respiratory damage and heart attacks. "
- care to show only ONE SERIOUS study that would support your outrageously stupid claims? did you actually read anything before writing this garbage? are facts not important to you? does making up stuff get you through the night?
not ONE of these symptoms are associated with marijuana use. well, they are, but only because marijuana helps dealing with them. at least thats what medicine and research tells us. but i guess thats something we can ignore. who needs science when you can have blind faith and rumors.
"If so, the medical marijuana argument does not support the broader decriminalization movement since it is not advocating for the medicinal use of marijuana but rather its recreational use."
- and your point is? did you just realize now that people fight for their freedom to use whatever the hell they please in their free time? and thats its none of your damn business to tell them they cant? thats news for you?
"Smoking marijuana medicinally threatens to make bad situations worse for many users. Marijuana introduces multiple toxic chemicals into the systems of people whose bodies are already weakened from their ailments. Not only might these toxic chemicals interfere with the healing process, but users risk developing additional problems like those mentioned earlier."
- this one went out of the ball park. really. where do you get your information from? ever talked to a mmy patient? or a doctor for that matter? anything? what are these toxic chemicals you keep talking about? are you aware that there is not even ONE toxic chemical in marijuana and that in 4000 years of (more or less) recorded history not even one person died from it? i repeat: not one. that is of course not counting the many people gunned down by governments and religious nutcases because they chose the wrong drug. or the ones being raped or knifed to death in prison.
"Third, decriminalization will not solve our drug control problems. It will not rid us of the illicit drug trade. Since distribution would still be illegal, most people would have to resort to the illegal drug trade to obtain marijuana. Additionally, some people who use marijuana will want to try other drugs, fueling more illicit drug trade."
most people would have to resort to the illegal drug trade. is that right. once again...i cant believe this is coming from an adult. it is so incredibly uninformed, my cat could have made a better point. are you seriously believing that all, or most, marijuana users are dealing? what planet do you live on my friend?
additionally: most people get in touch with other drugs because the source they buy their marijuana from, also sells harder drugs. that wouldnt be the case if you sell marijuana in a legal , controlled environment . so basically having people obtain their weed from shady dealers, is producing more heroin/crack addicts. you dont seriously think that smoking weed will make you use heroin, right? one only tries heroin because he gets it offered. and that usually happens for the first time while buying other stuff. so forcing people to deal with heroin dealers is a good idea? well done pastor. well done. proud of yourself?
"In the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 32 percent of state prisoners and 26 percent of federal prisoners said they committed their offense while under the influence of drugs. Marijuana is the drug used most often in these instances."
- really? marijuana is often a drug used during crimes. is that so. what where these crimes? hanging out? laughing in public? funny walking? sir, with all the respect i can still gather for you....you do not know what you talk about. not one bit.
to bring this to an end now:
please, sir, please...try to inform yourself before posting things like these. you didnt make one valid point here. not kidding. not one. all you did was repeating advertising slogans from the tobacco and alcohol industry more the 70 years old. it is scaring me that there are people out there still buying into that kind of cheap propaganda. and it makes me sad that you build a life around such inhuman values.
This is God's Ruling on Drugs as God told it to me:
God's Ruling on Drugs
Marijuana and pure cocaine are not sins. Anyone who does crack cocaine, heroin or worse drugs is cut off. Anyone who uses needles to get high is cut off.
Now, how much simpler can you get? God does not consider marijuana to be a drug. Where marijuana is legal , there will be a blessed feeling and where it is not legal, there is a feeling of paranoia.
Jesus had myrrh and myrrh in the Holy Bible is marijuana. So God cannot cut people off for using marijuana. The Peruvian Indians chew on coca leaves and that's the source of cocaine. Same with the Incas and Aztecs so God can't very well cut off those civilizations for that.
As for the drug cartels, the bottom will drop out of the market once marijuana and pure cocaine are legal for all to enjoy. They would then have to go into commercial production of their product in a legitimate way and pay taxes like everybody else. The same happened with the Kentucky liquor industry way back when.
Young kids are already smoking pot, that is, those who are willing to do it. Many kids stay away from it. Marijuana is already readily available to anyone who wants it so making it legal for entertainment purposes is really just a formality.
Grace, Peace & Love;
Lord Saint Dennis
www.MariUnlimited.com