Our great national info rag, The New York Times, has come out strongly in support of legalization of marijuana. According to the editorial writer, the board discussed the topic at length(really?) and has decided, once and for all, that it's time to decriminalize the weed. The weed that is so easily grown, so easily processed, so easily procured should be easily dismissed as a concern of police and our legal system.
The paper is devoting a series of articles in support of their editorial stance. The subjects include the costs of enforcement, the effects on the different races, states rights, health, history, regulation, and the track record of various efforts at control.
Hard to believe that it all started with Tricky Dick Nixon when he signed the law placing marijuana on the List of Controlled Substances, where it remains. Among other things, we know there is legitimate debate on usage at different ages. But compared to alcohol and tobacco, marijuana does not belong in the same class. Does the typical user add chemicals to the weed like cigarette companies? Do they advertise despite health warnings plastered all over their packaging? Do long term marijuana users walk around dragging oxygen tanks with nasal cannulas attached?
It will be an important journalistic effort to educate lawmakers, educators, users, and skeptics alike.
I look forward to reading the comments of readers from across the land. Don't miss this opportunity to become an informed citizen. Follow closely, too, what's happening in the states of Washington and Colorado, two that recently voted to legalize the sale and use of pot within their borders.
No comments:
Post a Comment