Pubdate: Tue, 02 Aug 2011 Source: Paradise Post (CA) Copyright: 2011 Paradise Post Contact: http://www.paradisepost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3112 Author: Dick Little LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA IS NOT WISE The marijuana users in our society are gaining strength, and they are asking the rest of us to loosen the reins. They want their favorite narcotic to be legalized. They say recreational marijuana (whatever that means) should be legalized, and they are seeking our support. A petition is being circulated to legalize the drug in our state. (Just what we need: It will be a magnet for every brain-dead pot-head to move to our state.) The pro-marijuana folks want the rest of us to make this drug legal through the ballot process. Unfortunately, it will not do them much good. Even if the voters say yes, marijuana is illegal under federal law. The drug is banned in every state, including this one, because the federal government says so. Californians cannot override federal law. Advocates have had some modest success in the past. Apparently they managed to convince a majority of our population to allow so-called medical marijuana to be given to those with prescriptions. It's amazing they can find a doctor to prescribe the drug. It's the equivalent of prescribing cigarettes for relaxation. Maybe we have more pot-head doctors than we thought. The Associated Press says a man named Steve Kubby is leading an effort that would place pot growers in the same category as grape growers, who sell their product to wine makers. They use faulty logic: It really falls under the category of "two wrongs make a right." Most people agree that kind of logic doesn't work. Marijuana advocates have convinced many that their drug of choice has medicinal value. They sold that bill of goods to us several years ago, claiming it has value as a pain killer. (So do cocaine, heroin, and other dangerous drugs. That doesn't mean these drugs should be legalized.) Marijuana is a mind altering drug. When you inhale it into your system it creates a euphoria in most people that use it. Over time, research has shown that it dulls the minds of many people and can be addictive, like cigarettes, something advocates strongly deny. Kubby likens his crusade to the prohibition movement of the 1920s. The drug gained popularity during the tumultuous '60s, when the intellectual elite on many university campuses looked the other way, as more faculty and students started using the drug as part of their anti-war, anti-government movement. Many young people damaged their memories by over-using it. Kubby's group was able to get so-called medical marijuana legalized here. "We're repealing bad laws," he told an AP reporter. He was part of the group that pushed Prop. 19 in 2010 that would have legalized pot for recreational use. It failed by a small margin. It shouldn't surprise anyone the issue will easily generate the nearly 505,000 signatures needed to get it back on the ballot. There are many people out there getting rich by growing or selling marijuana under the guise that it's harmless. The initiative will get millions from pot growers. However, it will probably be a waste of time. The federal government has outlawed the drug. Voters in this or any other state cannot override federal law. Even if it passed in our state two million to nothing, it would remain illegal and federal agents would have a field day raiding marijuana operations. Kubby attempts to sell us on the theme that it will generate "new taxes in the millions of dollars." At what cost? How many will smoke pot and deteriorate into mindless morons who will have to be cared for in public hospitals and institutions for the rest of their lives, at a cost of millions of dollars to the rest of us? So much for all the tax revenue they claim will be generated. It will go towards the medical costs of taking care of those who will have health issues from overuse of the drug. There are many reasons not to legalize pot. Anyone smoking the substance and driving a car poses a serious threat. It's against the law to drive under the influence of alcohol or any drug. But will law enforcement be able to detect it after the accident takes place? Probably not. We should continue funding health and safety classes in our schools reminding young students about the dangers of marijuana and what could happen to them. Legalizing marijuana will only make things worse. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.