Marijuana Legalization: Not Looking So Good In Reality

Support for Marijuana Legalizaitn Drops. Good news for Teen Health, Public Health
Support for Marijuana Legalization Drops. Good news for Teen Health, Public Health.

With support for legalization slipping (down to just 44% from 51% a year ago) there is finally some encouraging news.

Legalization of another drug for recreational purposes might have looked like to good idea on paper to some drug policy and criminology intellectuals. But its not looking so great in reality.

Fortunately, there are now new resources to help Americans better understand the most misunderstood illicit drug in the country.

We don’t determine medicine by public opinion in this country.

And we should not have addiction for profit lobbying groups and wall street speculators pressuring America to legalize a third major addictive drug for “recreational” purposes.

The target market is always the most vulnerable. Predatory advertising targets the suffering and young people to create lifetime customers. Private profits soar, along with over-consumption and public health and safety fallout. Its time to get smart about the about the facts of this drug. Its not your Grandma’s Woodstock Weed anymore. Marijuana harms. Component medicines may heal — but that hasn’t been proven.

There is near unanimity in the opinion that we cannot incarcerate our way out of America’s drug epidemic. Education, Prevention and Treatment are much more humane and effective options. But unleashing this country’s commercial engines to power a third major addictive drug for “recreational” purposes will diminish many more lives than such a scheme could ever help. See the attached infographic.

Dr. Nora Volkow of the National Institute on Drug Addiction, in September of 2014, spoke at a Forum at the John F Kennedy Library in Boston before a sold out crowd on “Effects of Marijuana on Brain, Body and Behavior“. As she neared the end of this presentation on the science of marijuana, Dr. Volkow asked a pertinent question: “Do you really want half of America stoned?”

This is a 21st Century drug issue. We are looking at a drug 3-8 times more potent than even 20 years ago — and escalating with commercialization. People are using without information or knowledge of risks or harms. Youth use — the population most vulnerable to the harms of this drug, is currently at a 30 year high. And people are voting without knowledge.

If you Tweet, Facebook, Blog, or G+ . . . please help with links, likes and shout-outs for any or all of the following web pages:

Project SAM

The Marijuana Policy Initiative

Nora’s Blog: Science Should Guide Marijuana policy

The Marijuana Report – National Families in Action

Legalization Violations – a website tracking the violations of legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington

No on Question 2 in Florida

VoteNo2.org (Florida)

Big Marijuana, Big Mistake Alaska

Dr. Thrustone.com

Grass Is Not Greener.com