Pubdate: Tue, 12 Jun 2012
Source: Desert Dispatch, The (Victorville, CA)
Copyright: 2012 Freedom Communications, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.desertdispatch.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3218
Author: Rich Harpole
Note: Rich Harpole served as a Barstow Police Officer for 23 years;
his expertise was in the area of drugs and gangs. He retired in 2008
as a lieutenant and currently teaches criminal justice courses. Lt.
Harpole is also a life member of the California Narcotic Officers Association.

THE DEBATE OVER MARIJUANA

There is a lot of emotion surrounding the issue of marijuana, but 
unfortunately too few facts.

Many people believe marijuana is legal in California. Some believe 
marijuana is harmless or it is not as bad as some other substances. 
Others believe marijuana is a gateway drug, leading many to lives of 
ruin, or it could be the savior of the California economy if we would 
just tax it.

I voted against the Compassionate Use Act because I have not been 
convinced science supports the use of marijuana as medicine. I 
understand some people claim it provides them relief, and I do not 
seek to argue or attack them. I simply am not convinced. Having said 
that, the voters approved the Compassionate Use Act and I respect the 
will of the voters.

However, possession, use, cultivation and sale of marijuana continues 
to be a crime in California. Just as there are laws concerning how to 
drive a car or build a house, there are laws a person must follow if 
s/he wants to enjoy the protection of the Compassionate Use Act.

If the laws are ignored, the person's status changes from patient or 
caregiver to offender and they can be prosecuted. It is in the 
interest of the patient to follow the law, just as it is in the 
interest of the community to insure drug dealers are not 
circumventing the law for profit or other illicit reasons. It 
requires a balanced approach - not the hands off approach that seems to exist.

In an effort to better understand the issue, I recently visited a 
legitimate marijuana dispensary in Orange County and saw firsthand 
the steps they take to insure they are in full compliance with 
California law. They are registered as a non-profit, mutual benefit 
cooperative and have a business license in the community where they 
operate. They have employees, pay income tax, collect/pay sales taxes 
and have workers compensation insurance. Their office is secure, 
clean and well organized and is in a light industrial area far away 
from schools, parks and homes. They inspect the recommendations from 
doctors to insure they are from properly licensed doctors, not 
internet quacks, and no drugs are used on the property.

As this debate continues, some people say using marijuana is "not as 
bad" as using alcohol. "Not as bad" still means bad, i.e. harmful. 
Doctors will tell you all drugs come with side effects, and marijuana 
is no exception. Side effects of marijuana use include decreased 
short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired perception and motor skills, 
increased appetite, and decreased motivation with more serious side 
effects including panic, paranoia or acute psychosis. If an 
individual adult wants to experience these side effects, why should 
we care - where is the harm?

The harm comes when people who should be working cannot find work 
because they cannot pass a drug test and then seek public assistance 
so they can survive. The harm comes when people loose their jobs 
because of a lack of motivation that interferes with performance and 
again they seek public financial support. The harm comes years later 
when the 400 chemicals in marijuana, cause additional health 
problems, for which society will again be asked to foot the bill. The 
harm comes when we make marijuana seem harmless and healthy, and we 
then find 1 in 10 high school students report they are "heavy" 
marijuana users - at a time when most would agree student performance 
is too low and dropout rates are too high.

I do not advocate taking anything away from seriously ill patients 
seeking a little relief from the misery of their conditions. I do 
seek responsible behavior and a message that drug use comes with 
consequences. I do advocate sending a clear message to our youth that 
drug use, in any form, cuts short the promise of the success and 
happiness each one deserves.

I also advocate our police department taking a leading role in this 
effort, not just as enforcers of the law but as educators too. It 
sends the wrong message to our community when a drug problem exists, 
as we recently saw with the dispensary on Main Street, and police 
leadership is silent instead of leading.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom