The Marijuana Debate: Legalize it?

Marijuana advocates across our nation took a major hit today. No, it's not the kind of hit they are accustomed to. The first step in their plan to legalize weed went up in a puff of smoke when the Supreme Court ruled that federal authorities may arrest and prosecute people whose doctors prescribe marijuana to ease pain, concluding that state laws don't protect users from a federal ban on the drug. Does this get you out of joint? Or do you feel the high court just blazed another bad seed? Go ahead, be blunt, fire off your cannon.

MyResponse:
Throughout my life, I've heard some interesting perspectives both for and against the legalization of marijuana. Like most, I've never smoked marijuana and never really had a desire to. I put it in the same category as drinking or cigarette smoking-- it's always seemed like a personal choice. In some ways, I see it as a little more harmless than alcohol because I don't recall many potheads that smoked one too many joints getting hostile in a bar. But, I guess the issue here is the use of marijuana as medicine.

Physicians regularly prescribe medicines like oxycotton, perkodan and other narcotic-type drugs for pain management and other ailments. Physicians are cleared by our government to prescribe drugs like vioxx, celebrex or chemo therapy that have brutal side effects, even death. The government continues to permit the sales of tobacco products despite the demonstrated impact it has on the health of smokers.

So, where's that line being drawn for the decision on marijuana? It seems that many of the people that are prescribed marijuana have a lot more going on in their lives than concern about where the government draws that line. Somebody said to me that the reason that marijuana is not legalized is because it doesn't have the lobby groups that big tobacco and the pharmacy industry has. Well, that's not completely true, NORML and MPP. But, I'm sure that they don't have the deep pockets and make the contributions that the other large lobbies do. I went to college and served in Penn State student government with Rob Kampia. He brought a lot of attention to his issue.In short, if marijuana has proven effective in treating conditions, and its benefits outweigh its side effects, I can not understand any reason to prevent its use other than the fact that the government hasn't found a way to benefit from it yet. So, surprisingly enough to me, I've got to say, legalize it.