Estimates suggest that from 20 to 50 million Americans routinely, albeit illegally, smoke marijuana without the benefit of direct medical supervision. Yet, despite this long history of use and the extraordinarily high numbers of social smokers, there are simply no credible reports to suggest that consuming marijuana has caused a single death. By contrast, aspirin, a commonly used, over-the-counter medicine, causes hundreds of deaths each year.
- DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young
I’v long since grown tired of the misinformation, propaganda, and outright lying that seems characteristic of this election cycle. Not that this time around is unusual, of course; lying is the coin of the realm when it comes to election advertising in America. Still, part me keeps naively hoping that someday, somehow, truth and honest debate will triumph. Then I come to my senses and remember that American politics isn’t about truth and honest debate. It’s about power and control and…most of all…money.
My latest reason for dissatisfaction is the battle over Oregon’s Measure 91, which would essentially legalize marijuana by introducing regulation and taxation to the market place. My bias in this matter shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention. I support Measure 91, mostly because I’m tired of the prevailing double standard that give alcohol a free pass because it’s socially acceptable while treating marijuana like it’s Of. The. Devil. Alcohol arguably does far more damage to society than marijuana…yet which mind-altering substances is vilified? It’s time to end the hypocrisy in Oregon. I believe that a person should have the freedom to legally smoke a joint, just as they do to drink a martini.
As with the argument over adding four words (Measure 91) to food labels to identify foods produced with GMOs, fear-mongering seems to be the order of the day. The above photos are two sides of a mailer I received a few days ago. The only missing was a “Reefer Madness” DVD. The mailer, as with the rest of the advertising produced by the anti-Measure 92 folks, contains nothing in the way of facts or sources. What it does have is a surfeit of fear-mongering, silliness (“OHMIGOD!! WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN?!!?”), and distortions. If you believe what they’re selling, then “Big Marijuana”- whatever the Hell that means- is coming after our precious snowflakes in order that they might enslave them by addicting them to marijuana-laced products.
Those who oppose Measure 92 really don’t have an argument. The facts simply aren’t on their side…and they seem to know it. The only tactic available to them is to sow fear and misinformation in order to convince Oregonians that marijuana is a gateway drug and a danger to children. That neither of these have been proven is really beside the point; those who oppose Measure 92 know the only way to victory is to convince voters that legalizing marijuana is the first step down a slippery slope.
From where I sit, we have two choices: we can recognize that there’s no logical or scientifically sound reason to treat marijuana as evil while continuing to treat alcohol as if it’s no big deal. Or we can use some common sense and create a system that taxes and regulates the marijuana marketplace. It’s that simple, but if you still can’t understand why legalization is a good idea, just look at the examples of Washington and Colorado, who’ve experienced increases in tax revenue AND decreases in wasteful arrests and police work.
Whether or not you smoke marijuana, it’s difficult to argue factually that it’s different and more harmful than alcohol. It’s time we begin to legalize marijuana and acknowledge what’s already the de facto reality in Oregon.
Common sense sometimes makes perfect sense.
