Pubdate: Sat, 11 Oct 2014
Source: Buffalo News (NY)
Copyright: 2014 The Buffalo News
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/GXIzebQL
Website: http://www.buffalonews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/61
Author: Walter Simpson
Note: Walter Simpson is a member of the Western New York Peace
Center, which recently endorsed the NYS Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act.

NATION HAS REACHED THE TIPPING POINT ON MARIJUANA

In a recent Viewpoints article, Kevin Sabet made some valid points
about risks associated with legalizing marijuana. But his fears can be
addressed. Properly tailored legalization legislation can prevent a
Big Tobacco takeover of marijuana production and sales. And we can and
should strictly limit advertising and implement effective measures to
prevent the targeting of youth.

The marijuana issue has reached a tipping point. Despite intransigence
on the federal level, Colorado and Washington have legalized cannabis
for recreational use by adults, and 23 states have shown compassion by
enacting medical marijuana laws.

Two factors are propelling the marijuana issue. The first is growing
awareness that the failed trillion-dollar war on drugs has been a
weapon against people of color. Nowhere is this more evident than in
drug law arrests and imprisonment. The situation has been intolerable
for years.

The second factor is the shift in public opinion, especially among
young adults who overwhelmingly favor marijuana legalization. A
near-unanimous 83 percent of those between 18 and 29 years old want
marijuana to be legal.

We now know that marijuana sales in Colorado may produce as much as
$139 million in tax revenue. That extrapolates to $400 million for New
York  a windfall to ease taxes or pay for needed programs.
Additionally, Colorado has seen explosive growth in marijuana-related
jobs and industry without going the Big Tobacco route. Many
anticipated problems never materialized and those that have can be
addressed by refining regulation.

Both the New York Times and The Buffalo News point out that
marijuana's health effects are minor compared with alcohol and
tobacco. The Times flatly rejects the idea that marijuana is a gateway
drug.

There's legitimate concern that marijuana legalization for adults
could lead to increased use by adolescents - an outcome no one wants.
But existing laws have completely failed to prevent teenagers from
having easy access to marijuana. Given that reality, efforts to reduce
marijuana use by adolescents should focus on developing more effective
healthy choice educational programs for this age group.

Thirty-five states are now considering marijuana reform and within the
next few years as many as 16 states could legalize it for recreational
adult use  regulating and taxing it like alcohol.

Before existing marijuana laws cause any more harm, let's act
sensibly, learn from the pioneers and take careful steps to
appropriately and safely legalize this relatively harmless herb. This
is what a growing majority of New Yorkers and Americans want.
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MAP posted-by: Richard