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The debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana is like a twisted NASCAR race. One machine — filled with pungent smoke and long-haired freaky people — blazes toward an ashy world constructed almost entirely of hemp byproducts. Another, piloted by Gil Kerlikowske, the chief of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, moves in the opposite direction toward a drug-free nation where marijuana simply doesn’t exist. And in the background are gaggles of reasonable, ticket-holding spectators who, regardless of their affiliation logically wonder, “Where is the finish line?”
Instead of getting in a vehicle and moving toward a realistic solution based on reason and compromise, the opposing groups seem to embrace a strictly one-sided outcome. Both sides are stuck to their perspectives like a stoner stuck to a couch.
But if any headway is going to be made on this issue, it needs to be a joint effort. Until both parties are willing and able to dislodge themselves from their deeply entrenched beliefs, the discussion will never produce enough traction to move in any direction.
The problem with this status-quo is that taxpayers — many of whom have little or no opinion when it comes to the legalization of marijuana — get stuck footing the bill for this ideologically-charged debate.
When it comes to governmental action, nothing happens for free. There are many wheels in the machine of government and each one of them needs greasing. Every time legalization, decriminalization — or any other type of bill — goes to Congress for a vote, someone has to pay for it. If the conversation were going anywhere, I’d be fine with providing financial support because that is the responsibility of a citizen. However, it seems that whenever the issue arises, both sides try to bogart the conversation instead of listening and working together.
The pro-legalization advocates claim marijuana has enormous medical potential, but conveniently ignore or refute the plain and simple argument that it is still a drug and has negative side-effects. This strategy just makes the more logical and acceptable of their points feel like half-baked attempts for stoners to get legal weed.
On the other side of the coin, Drug Czars like John Walters and Kerlikowske have stated the medical benefits of marijuana have never been established, despite diametrically opposed evidence made available in recent studies conducted by the Scripps Research Institute, the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, Columbia University and many more. Moreover, Kerlikowske stated in an interview for Puget Sound Public Radio that legalization is neither in the current administration’s vocabulary nor in his own.
Yet in stark contrast to this statement, there are still seven people who receive medical marijuana directly from the federal government through the Investigational New Drug compassionate access program. This hypocrisy and tenacious clinging to closed-mindedness on both sides of the issue will get us nowhere.
Perhaps marijuana can provide a medical alternative to those in need and perhaps not. But if we ever wish to ascertain the truth, we must look at the facts as they are and be willing to hear an answer we may not want to. We must stop perceiving the issue as black and white and see the many shades of green. It isn’t always easy, but it’s the right thing to do. Until that happens, any pipe dreams of establishing reasonable drug policy will simply go up in smoke.
James Jelenko can be reached at
jjelenko@theorion.com
14 comments
Get off your irrational high horse and start using your head.
*stands up clapping*
Bravo, miss! Very well said.
And to the author, Jimmy.
FYI I'm a 31 yold Network Administrator for a very large Insurance firm, Married with 2 kids, 3 dogs, 2 cars, and a house (all of which are well taken care of). And I've been consuming Cannabis regularly since I was 15. Stop Stereotyping, it's not fair to all the sober long haired freaky people!
rofl
However I all I see is alcohol fulled co workers at company events and prescription drug abusers who take Oxycontin or Valium and shop doctors. It makes me sick the level of hypocrisy. Just look at Cindy McCain, she was stealing from her own charity to get $ for "legal" prescription drugs" and her family made a fortune in beer distribution. Yet god forbid you smoke a joint in your own house, you will go to jail and the tax payers will have to pay for the incarceration. I hope they legalize it, I will be the 1st in line and will pour every oz of beer out of my fridge and never touch another drop of liquor ever again!