Pubdate: Sun, 10 Aug 2014
Source: Tulsa World (OK)
Copyright: 2014 World Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.tulsaworld.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/463
Author: Tim Harris
Note: Tim Harris is Tulsa County district attorney, and will retire 
in January after serving 28 years with the office.
Page: G3

LEGALIZING WOULD CREATE PUBLIC HAZARD

Many believe that reform to drug laws is appropriate, and I welcome 
that debate. I believe we need to continue to explore evidence-based 
prevention, access to treatment, and alternatives to incarceration. 
But substance abuse is a public health issue, as well as a criminal 
justice problem. I do not believe that legalization of marijuana 
solves the issues raised in the debate on drug policy.

We must consider the public health problems associated with increased 
availability of marijuana. A review of some of the facts cited by the 
Office of National Drug Control Policy is important for people to 
consider before they decide this issue.

Fact: Drugged driving is a threat to our roadways and personal 
safety. Marijuana significantly impairs coordination and reaction 
time. We prosecute criminal cases for injuries and deaths caused by 
drug related DUIs as well as alcohol-related collisions. The numbers 
are frightening.

More than 20 percent of our criminal caseload has some relation to 
alcohol use and abuse. The pain and suffering caused by intoxicated 
drivers who crash into others results in devastation - physically, 
mentally and emotionally. The impact on victims and families often is 
not understood until it happens to your own family or friends.

Why support a decision that would only increase the number of drivers 
on the roadway who are impaired, thereby increasing our odds of being 
hurt or killed in a collision?

Marijuana's effects

Fact: Marijuana use affects the developing brain. Studies have shown 
impairment of development in some regions of the brain following 
prolonged marijuana use that began in adolescence or young adulthood.

We all want the next generation to achieve what we were not able to 
achieve. Legalization of marijuana will only create an atmosphere 
where adolescents perceive its use as condoned and encouraged.

Kids will see marijuana use as fun without consequences. The use of 
the word "medicine" is often tied to the discussion of marijuana use. 
This description of marijuana as medicine sends the wrong message 
that will boomerang on our kids if not defined more clearly.

During my 28 years of prosecution of crime in both the adult and 
juvenile system, it is impossible to recount the human tragedy of 
people whose lives were affected by drug and alcohol abuse. More 
often than not, marijuana was the "gateway" drug that put people on 
the path to the use of harder and more addictive drugs such as 
cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin or prescription drugs.

The opportunity to get bored with one high and experiment with 
another high is created by associations with others who abuse drugs. 
People become like those with whom they associate. My mom's warnings 
turned out to be true, although I didn't want to believe it at the time.

Drug culture

During the five years I worked juvenile deprived children cases for 
the DA's office, most scenarios included young children living in 
environments where drug use, child neglect and abuse were the common 
denominators. These children did not choose this environment.

Adults made choices to use marijuana and other drugs, and the child 
did not have the power to reject those choices. Those choices to use 
drugs - and marijuana is a drug - left a situation where money 
obtained by drug addicts went toward feeding their addiction. The 
result often was homes without food, running water, electricity or paid rent.

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs estimated that 
in 2011 as many as 84 percent of the children in Oklahoma foster care 
come from homes where one or both parents are drug addicts, many 
admitting they started with marijuana as teenagers.

At a time when America's place in the world in terms of academic and 
economic competiveness is greatly threatened can we afford to be a 
"stoned America" and expect to compete?

Profit motive

I hope as we debate this issue that we will admit that there are 
those hoping to profit from a nationwide cannabis industry as large 
and powerful as the alcohol and tobacco businesses. The state of 
Colorado has decided to use the money generated from marijuana sales 
to be their new tax generator. That experiment and its results are 
yet to be seen. To think that legalization will do away with the 
"black market" is a myth.

Many will read and criticize my position, and I respect their views. 
They haven't walked a mile in my shoes and seen what I have seen as a 
prosecutor. As we make decisions for our future, I hope those 
decisions move us forward and make us better, not worse.

Lowering our standards or expectations has never produced what we 
thought it would. Let's not make that mistake as we consider how we, 
as Oklahomans, decide the issue of legalization of marijuana.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom