Republicans should get out front for once and lead the movement to legalize marijuana. It makes sense any way you look at it.
“Medical marijuana” has turned out to be the farce that many of us suspected. Patients with glaucoma, AIDS and cancer were shamelessly paraded as the poster children for the initiative, yet they make up less than 10 percent of the patients at the marijuana dispensaries. The bulk of the clientele is 18- to 30-year-old males with “pain” and “mood disorder” problems that can’t be proved or disproved.
One naturopath alone has written thousands of prescriptions. High school students are ending up with a lot of the pot. The feds won’t promise not to prosecute and when state legislators discuss doing something about this mess, the howl of “defying the will of the people” starts up.
So what could be a better time to take a different tack and do what a growing number of Americans want anyway: legalize, regulate and tax it. Policymakers seem still influenced by “Reefer Madness”, the movie that ludicrously exaggerated claims of marijuana’s supposed tendencies to turn users into crazed maniacs.
In fact, marijuana is safer and has fewer bad consequences than alcohol. Alcohol claims an estimated 76,000 lives per year while marijuana advocates claim that pot has “never killed anyone”.
I doubt that’s strictly true, but in my emergency physician days, dealing with alcohol problems – auto accidents, domestic abuse, end-stage liver disease – was part of the daily grind. Hard drugs also commonly caused sickness and death but marijuana just never came up.
Every substance on earth can cause harm if abused or taken in excess. But, unlike alcohol, marijuana doesn’t stimulate aggressive behavior or cause “mean drunks”. And while chronic, heavy use may induce apathy, medically speaking there is no such thing as marijuana addiction or fatal overdoses. When we try to scare teens by claiming that marijuana is worse than it is, we look foolish and untrustworthy.
Many understandably worry about the effect of legalization on teenagers. But our current drug laws don’t work now to protect teens, who report that pot is easier to get than beer. In fact, drinking and cigarette smoking have dropped by 10 percent among high school seniors over the last five years, while pot smoking has risen by 23 percent. More teenagers smoke pot here than the Netherlands, where it is legal for adults.
Others worry about marijuana being a “gateway drug” to the hard stuff. But there’s no medical reason why pot should lead to hard drugs. In fact, it’s likely that if marijuana were purchased from a pharmacy rather than an illegal drug seller, the probability of being graduated to addictive drugs would be reduced.
More importantly, marijuana is a freedom issue. In a free society (that’s still us, isn’t it?), we have a natural right to do what we want with their own bodies. We don’t have to prove to government that is healthy or safe. In fact, it’s government that has the heavy burden of proof to show that our behavior is harmful to others to justify criminalizing it. That’s mighty hard to do.
But here’s the clincher. Even for those who believe on balance that there is some to benefit of criminalizing marijuana, we can’t afford it. At a time when government is flat broke, the War on Pot is estimated to cost $42 billion annually in direct expenses of enforcement, adjudication and incarceration. That doesn’t even include the massive human costs to the 700,000 arrested each year for marijuana offenses, much less the horrible toll of financially supporting the murderous drug cartels who control marijuana distribution.
We could end all this and use the money instead to reduce public debt or lower taxes while controlling marijuana use and abuse. It wouldn’t have to work perfectly to be far better than what we have today.
Republicans can get on the right side of a freedom and finance issue that is massively popular with the youth demographic. What are they waiting for?
East Valley resident Tom Patterson (pattersontomc@cox.net) is a retired physician and former state senator.
mwd2525 posted at 11:04 am on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
Wow, if only Mr Pattersons thoughts were adopted by the rest of his fellow republicans. It is views like Mr Pattersons that USED to reflect what being a republican was all about. Unfortunately,they are not now and haven't been in a very long time. There are two main reasons why Mr Pattersons well thought out views on this issue will NEVER come to pass. 1- Groups like The Partnership for a Drug Fee America continue to feed un-informed people with a steady dose of disinformation on marijuana,so most people think one puff of a joint and a day later your looking to move up to heroin. 2- The DEA, and to a smaller extent,state and local police make far too much money with pot being illegal. There is a huge money making bureaucracy that is raking in millions. MONEY AND JOBS ARE ON THE LINE, they need us to fear drugs and think of them as evil. As long as that is going on, I dont think that choice will be in our hands. How many times did we,the citizens of Az,vote in medical marijuana? Over 3 times!!!!!! It just got taken away from us,and thankfully we wrote it in to the bill this time. Though they did everything they could to prevent,overturn,delay,finally it went through. Making it legal??? Maybe the few states that have will start a critical mass snowball,but I fear not in my lifetime
Bluepoet posted at 11:06 am on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
They are waiting to see if the Democrats are for it, so they can figure out how not to be for it, while secretly being for it! (Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me, either).
Incidentally, thank you, Dr. Patterson, for finally writing an article that isn't partisan, and has logic, pragmatic assessment, and some wisdom, within it...
Arizona Willie posted at 11:15 am on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
Yes, I would take my hat off to Patterson ( if I wore one ) on this issue and this issue alone.
FINALLY HE GOT ONE RIGHT.
malcolmkyle posted at 11:16 am on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
It's time for us all to stop being ignorant hypocrites and start being "true" conservatives —trying to control each and every thing that 350 million people do with their bodies is not small government!
Pragmatic libertarians (minimal-statists) and true conservatives agree that many, if not most, of society's problems are caused by government usurping choices that could better be made by individuals themselves, and that government is just about the worst way of doing almost anything. Where libertarianism normally parts company with "fake" conservatism is over moral issues. But a true conservative would have no problem with agreeing that what people do with their own bodies, and especially in the privacy of their own home, should be supremely their business and that anything else would entail ignoring the basic tenet of limited government.
Fake-conservatism on the other hand has much in common with socialism. Authoritarian-socialists and fake-conservatives appear to harbor the belief that nature does not exist and that any human can be "re-educated" into being anything society wishes. Leftists therefore tend to believe that little boys can be conditioned into preferring dolls over toy soldiers, and similarly, fake-conservatives believe that adults can be coerced into choosing alcohol over marijuana. A true conservative, just like a pragmatic libertarian, would immediately reject both ideas as nonsense.
If you support prohibition then you are NOT a conservative.
Conservative principles quite clearly are:
1) Limited, locally controlled government.
2) Individual liberty coupled with personal responsibility.
3) Free enterprise.
4) A strong national defense.
5) Fiscal responsibility.
Prohibition is actually an authoritarian war on our economy and Constitution.
It's all about market and cost/benefit analysis. Whether any particular drug is good, bad, or otherwise is irrelevant. As long as there is demand for any mind altering substance there WILL be supply! The only affect prohibiting it has is to drive the price up while increasing the costs and profits - and where there is illegal profit to be made criminals and terrorists thrive.
Arizona Willie posted at 11:36 am on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
Although Patterson reached the correct conclusion -- he stated something that is HORRIBLY wrong.
He repeated the anti-medical marijuana people's claim that the bulk of cardholders are 18-30 years old.
I'm now going to serve up a CUP OF TRUTH, bitter as it may be to anti-mmj people.
Here is a link to my FACTS that in TRUTH 73.44% of cardholders are OVER 30 years old.
The numbers were obtained just a few minutes ago.
http://www.azdhs.gov/medicalmarijuana/documents/reports/120919-patient-application-report.pdf
Patient Age-groups
18 to 30 years 8,518 26.5%
31 to 40 years 6,685 20.8%
41 to 50 years 5,807 18.07%
51 to 60 years 6,826 21.24%
61 to 70 years 3,670 11.42%
71 to 80 years 517 1.61%
81 and older 95 0.3%
jway86 posted at 1:02 pm on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
These days we keep hearing about "legalizing marijuana for recreational use", but what it really appears to be is an attempt to legalize marijuana as a far safer alternative to alcohol.
According to the CDC, alcohol kills 80,000 people every year in the U.S. while marijuana kills none, and marijuana's addiction potential is only about that of coffee.
Since marijuana is significantly milder, safer and less addictive than alcohol, we could prevent a lot of the harm that alcohol causes by letting people choose marijuana instead of alcohol. We need to put the safety of our children FIRST and legalize marijuana like beer and wine.
tularockstar posted at 2:58 pm on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
What a joke! All you liberals and looney repubs want to legalize pot? Sure, why not? We don't have enough people texting and driving drunk already on our streets, that we will now allow impaired pot smokers behind the wheel too? There has already been studies and driving tests done on people who drive high on pot! And, the results aren't so pretty! And, the GOP are complete idiots, if they allow this to even get on the floor! Our State has more dire needs: education, jobs, homelessness, drunk drivers, illegal immigration, air quality and traffic congestion. Just to name a few. Only those looneys and pot heads would want our State Legislature to spend time legalizing dope? Yes, let's call it for what it is! Drugs! Pot! HTC! And, don't give me that BS about medicinal purpose! That is complete garbage! Just look at Colorado and California! How's the government doing on monitoring and keeping pot in legal hands? Abysmal! Way to go with the stupid liberal thinking--as usual!
Arizona Willie posted at 3:17 pm on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
Well, tularockstar, a closed mind will never drink from the CUP OF TRUTH.
How do you explain the fact that Washington ( state ) and Colorado have not exploded in a wave of violent crime fueled by all the " pot heads " who can indulge in LEGAL pot because both of those states have authorized RECREATIONAL marijuana use?
It's been a couple of months now and neither one of those states has had any big problem.
Folks in your closed minded group have predicted waves of violent crime and nothing has happened. NOTHING.
Guess what! Alcohol makes many people violent. Marijuana just gives people the munchies and the sleepies. I've never seen a fight with a marijuana person involved.
Alcohol destroys your organs but marijuana has a history of medicinal use they can trace back further than the pyramids.
But why am I bothering to write to you. You know everything there is to know about marijuana and everything else.
Bluepoet posted at 3:44 pm on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
tularockstar,
Did you even read the article? This is a huge drain on our economy, far worse than worrying about illegals...if we legalise marijuana, we can regulate and tax it...that means we don't have to keep depending on gamblers, housing developers, and lawyers for our state's economy. It also means we can deploy law enforcement to deal with the more pressing issues that you listed, yourself!
Your driving statistics (oh, wait, what numbers?) are spurious, too. For every study that says it's driving while impaired, there's another that says it's not, because people who are under the influence of pot tend to be more cautious behind the wheel, unlike those who are alcohol impaired.
samkat posted at 4:24 pm on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
Its amazing as to how many pot users we have in our midst. I suppose you folks allow your children to consume it as well since it is so safe. What's next, legalization of meth, cocaine and hash? Who is going to pick up the medical and socioeconomic tab? I would never hire a known user since it is counterproductive.
OldMan posted at 5:26 pm on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
Agree with mwd, justification for tons of funding to different agencies is to fight this "evil". People depending on the government for their source of income, without really earning it, is called.............,hmmmmmm,.............can someone help out?
Leon Ceniceros posted at 6:21 pm on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
Another "closet Libertarian"....Harvard - Yale educated to boot.......to think that this is what is coming out of the two finest Universities in America....if that doesn't scare the pants off you ....I don't know what will.
"...marijuana is a freedom issue.....we have the natural right to do what we want with their own bodies.""
The Doctor of Medicine, Harvard and Yale Alumni and ex-Arizona State Senator might want to do a little more research on that count (suicide???).
Isn't it bad enough that we have the likes of John McCain and Jeff Flake and now another Republican (sic) has shown up (et tu Brutus.....et tu).
Rich posted at 7:41 pm on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
The government has proven they can't control it. Next best thing is to tax it. But then it's less than four more years of useless incompetence, maybe we'll do better as voters in 2016.
teknik posted at 8:07 pm on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
Well said good sir! Who cares what productive, contributing, members of our society do within the privacy of our own home.
There's two sides in america's political world and they each take one half of crazy.
Socially liberal, fiscally conservative are the true conservatives of the day.
Keep your religion out of my bedroom and out of my Dr's office.
However, I will say the start of your rant is a farce. There's only one dispensary in town and the average age of typical card holder is 40+.
Teen use has actually gone down in states that have approved medicinal use of cannabis.
Cannabis is safe, harmless, and has been used by humans forever.
teknik posted at 8:10 pm on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
actually legalizing it would be a huge drain on the economy.
law enforcement depends on that extra drug war money and all kinds of folks in the law industry would lose business from all directions.
the shame!
BigJohn posted at 10:25 pm on Mon, Mar 11, 2013.
samkat said, "What's next, legalization of meth, cocaine and hash?"
First off, hash is marijuana. It's the resin glands and resin that has been separated from the plant and pressed in to hash. It's stronger than the pot it's made from, but most of it available in the world isn't made from the strongest pot. Most of it is actually weaker than the fancy expensive marijuana a lot of people are smoking today. When marijuana is finally legal, and it will be legal, hash should be legal too. That way strains with good hemp properties and decent resin production could be developed and these plants could be grown in huge fields, harvested mechanically and the resin separated in what is basically a factory, while stalks seeds, etc., can be used for hemp purposes. Resin from the leaves trimmed from the buds of premium grade marijuana could be blended with the mass produced product to make different flavor profiles and different grades of product. That way, there would be no waste. All of the plant material would be used and labor costs would be low with all he mechanization and the economy of scale. The price will drop through the floor and there will be all sorts of room for high taxes to keep the cost to consumers in the ballpark of what they pay now.
As for legalizing the hard stuff, it won't happen. Forty years ago only something like 16% wanted marijuana to be legalized. Now it's over 50% according to the polls. Still less than 10% want to legalize awful drugs like meth though. Thankfully, the support for that will never be there.
mwd2525 posted at 7:35 am on Tue, Mar 12, 2013.
People seem to be under the impression that there aren't alot of people already smoking pot. Im hearing comments like "We don't have enough people texting and driving drunk already on our streets, that we will now allow impaired pot smokers behind the wheel too" Just because pot became legal doesnt make it legal to get high and drive. We still have laws in place to punish those who would use in a irresponsible way.....just like alcohol. Duh. If pot became legal tomorrow, I wouldnt start smoking it,nor would I use meth or heroin if they were legalized.Why people think we would have droves of people driving around getting high,Im not sure. The only people using would be the same ones that are using now anyway!!! Only we wouldnt be wasting our police officers time and filling our jails,wasting our tax dollars to arrest people for no reason.
5thgenaz posted at 7:54 am on Tue, Mar 12, 2013.
Finally, someone with common sense and a willingness to risk reputation to speak feared truths. I never could figure out why some places celebrate things and actions and in other places it is unlawful to do the same thing. Oh yeah, fear gives the police control over the tax revenue budgets!
chatmandu002 posted at 10:20 am on Tue, Mar 12, 2013.
Tom,
Have you been around some "Pot Heads". Where do you think all the zombies come from, well at least that's what some many of them look like. Lifeless and in a stupor.
Also, you haven't seen what's coming down the road. Marijuana edibles. Yes little pieces of candy with marijuana. Something for everyone and every age. Now everyone can be stoned, even our children.
downtownresident posted at 2:22 pm on Tue, Mar 12, 2013.
Finally. Something sane.
And to all of you who are indignant that pot may become legal, if you have children, give them $50 and tell them to go buy pot with it. In a half an hour they will be back with the stuff. Easier than buying beer. This goes for you Mormons too.
Pot doesn't cause criminal activity. It just makes you lazy.
Legalize it.
Mike McClellan posted at 4:47 pm on Tue, Mar 12, 2013.
What downtownresident says.
But . . .
The black market won't die, unless marijuana is legal for anyone of any age.
Otherwise, cartels will continue to sell, only the market will be narrowed to our kids.
But as to chat's "lifeless and in a stupor" comment: I gotta believe that our state legislators partake of brownies on a regular basis.
Accuracy posted at 4:59 pm on Tue, Mar 12, 2013.
In your dreams… Tom Patterson
Pushing marijuana as a potential revenue stream and taxed like liquor.
Patterson is thinking that if Marijuana were taxed like liquor in Arizona, it could add $1.4 Billion dollars per year in New RevenueIs and to the state's empty coffers.
hljmesa posted at 7:50 pm on Tue, Mar 12, 2013.
Accuracy, Tom may have read this:
http://www.denverpost.com/news/marijuana/ci_16688199
or this:
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_19499238?IADID=Search-www.denverpost.com-www.denverpost.com
but most LIKELY THIS :
http://www.marijuana.com/news/2012/11/how-high-will-colorado-and-washingtons-marijuana-tax-revenue-get/
Congrats Mr. Patterson ! ! Now the heavy lifting starts ! ! !
bobunf posted at 9:44 pm on Tue, Mar 12, 2013.
Mike, how is it that there is no black market for alcohol? Kids (by which we rather ludicrously mean anyone under 21) want beer and other alcohol, and they get it. Big brother, or older friend, buys it for them; they steal it from their parents, etc.
The illegal drug distribution businesses would be deprived of 80%+ of their potential marijuana market if marijuana were legal. Actually, more like 99%, because kids would get it the same way they get alcohol with no black market.
Yes, the black market would die.
Bluepoet posted at 12:46 pm on Wed, Mar 13, 2013.
It's all rather moot, without buy-in from the Federal government, however. Even though the current administration may not have it as a priority, somewhere down the road, there will be a lawyer with an axe to grind, until this is done at the Federal level.
By the way, this will not kill the black market, drug cartels...they will simply shift their product to the hard drugs, or whatever there's an illicit market for...it will free up the "good guys" for other, more needed law enforcement efforts, is all...
For those who subscribe to the "gateway" drug theory, as Dr. Patterson pointed out, in his article, it isn't something intrinsic to the drug itself, but rather, who one must now get it from...in other words, if one can buy it in the drug store, chances are it may lead to increased sales in potato chips and not heroin or speed.
For others who remain skeptical--check your calendars--yes, it's 2013, not 1933!
Mike McClellan posted at 1:18 pm on Wed, Mar 13, 2013.
Bob, will the potency of dope be controlled? If not, here comes the black market, and not just for kids . . .
bobunf posted at 11:45 pm on Wed, Mar 13, 2013.
We have all kinds of regulations about the content of beer, wine, who can use what name for what liguor, labeling, warming signs, etc., etc. No black market.
If a tiny percentage of the population wants super-mj, they won't provide the same size market as when a third of the population is using illegal pot.
Bluepoet, I hate to rob you of your innocence, but the illegal drug distribution businesses already market hard drugs. It's possible the market could be somewhat expanded, but for the most part that niche is already filled.
The Mafia, after the end of prohibition, did expand into other areas: loan sharking, extortion, prostitution, illegal gambling, etc, etc. But I thing those niches are already pretty full up.
Marijuana legalization will be very bad news for the illegal drug distribution businesses; drug cartels - oww, scary. But they are on their way out when we all can grow our own pot without worrying about the police.
The drug war just doesn't work, and it's really expensive in many, many ways.
In short, end the stupid drug war.
Bluepoet posted at 7:22 am on Thu, Mar 14, 2013.
LoL, bobunf! I'm afraid you're about 50 years late on robbing me of my innocence! But, thanks for your assumption!
Otherwise, we are in total agreement. I was merely responding to someone's assertion that the black market would be decimated, by saying it would merely shift it's focus...
Arizona Willie posted at 9:00 am on Thu, Mar 14, 2013.
chatmandu: you said " Have you been around some "Pot Heads". Where do you think all the zombies come from, well at least that's what some many of them look like. Lifeless and in a stupor.
Also, you haven't seen what's coming down the road. Marijuana edibles. Yes little pieces of candy with marijuana. Something for everyone and every age. Now everyone can be stoned, even our children. "
Marijuana does NOT turn people into useless zombies. You would be shocked to find out who uses mj. Doctors and lawyers and reporters and, I'm sure, some member(s) of our right wing Legislature ( not because of the stupid things they do just because of the odds ).
I don't indulge on any day there is a possibility I will need to drive, until I'm back home again. But just about every day I use my medicine and I'm FAR from a zombie.
You've watched " Reefer Madness " too many times.
Other than being wrong on my issues, you seem to be a fairly intelligent person.
So EDUCATE yourself on the issue, don't just take what they say on Faux Lies as gospel because it isn't.
They can trace medical use of Marijuana back over 5000 years.
Lately there have been some hopeless cancer cases who tried mmj and it " appears " to have actually CURED some of them. I'm not going to declare it HAS cured them but it certainly appears so and their doctors have no other explanation.
And they have used their skills in botany and plant genetics to take the < giggle > out of MMJ and have left the pain relief and relaxation.
Just hope you never need it, but the odds are you will develop conditions, especially in later life, that will benefit from MMJ. You, and others who have a knee-jerk opposition to MMJ would be well advised to do YOUR OWN research and keep an open mind.
I know, I know ... open minds are not allowed in the Republican Party --- but I won't tell 'em if you don't :)
Arizona Willie posted at 9:01 am on Thu, Mar 14, 2013.
Ooops this sentence " Other than being wrong on my issues, you seem to be a fairly intelligent person. " should have read " Other than being wrong on many issues, you seem to be a fairly intelligent person. "
Sorry bout that but this fersaken editor won't let us fix things any other way.
frank66 posted at 1:34 pm on Thu, Mar 14, 2013.
SMART editorial. 1.5 Million non-violent "criminals" are in prison for marijuana related "crimes". (costs about $40,000 a year to incarcerate 1 prisoner) No Victim, No Crime, No Fine, No Time!
Accuracy posted at 5:26 pm on Thu, Mar 14, 2013.
Mike McClellan posted this question: “…will the potency of dope be controlled? If not, here comes the black market, and not just for kids .”
The legalization of medical marijuana in Arizona has led the state to become part of a national movement to legalize the drug. But it has also heightened concerns about the effect on young people, because many believe that those under 21 will be able to access it more easily. One of the reasons is that kids think that so-called medical marijuana is okay and people think it's a medicine. Kids say that it's a plant – you can smoke it and it just gets you high. Arizona is watching and waiting to see what legalization marijuana means for communities and especially for their youth.
Will the potency of dope be controlled?
Federal prosecutors are adamant that Federal law does not recognize a state initiative that legalized pot for medical use. Meaning, the state’s medical-marijuana law is unconstitutional, so the government will target the businesses/dispensaries and commercial marijuana industry Arizona.
VofReason posted at 1:10 pm on Fri, Mar 15, 2013.
There are a lot of good points here. Question, does traveling at 70 MPH always create a dangerous situation. Well no, but becuase it is against the law, you don't get to decide for yourself to go that fast or not. Similarly, while MJ is against the law, is it because people are too stupid to understand that that we should feel sorry for their punishment? If it is silly as a law, change it, but please don't tell me it is only for the cancer patients who need it. I don't disagree that they do, just they are not the ones who get pulled over and charged with 4 lbs in their trunk.
VofReason posted at 1:12 pm on Fri, Mar 15, 2013.
Heck making MJ legal will be a liberating force for parent's basements everywhere. Your parents deserve an office, workout room, or just a second living room.
Arizona Willie posted at 9:12 am on Sat, Mar 16, 2013.
VofReason: you said " If it is silly as a law, change it, but please don't tell me it is only for the cancer patients who need it. "
Don't look now --- but WE DID CHANGE IT.
State law that is. The Feds won't let us vote on it nationally or it would immediately get changed on a Federal level also.
And the law does not restrict it to cancer patients. There are many illnesses that benefit from MMJ.
Many of them are spelled out in the change we made to allow MMJ in Arizona, but more get discovered all the time and, unfortunately, the powers that be are trying their awful best to prevent any more conditions from being added. Lots of compassion those Legislators have, eh?