DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: I’m writing about marijuana legalization, which is being discussed in California. As California’s largest cash crop, I understand the appeal to solve the state’s economic problems through regulating this drug, but I worry that more teens will become addicted and at younger ages. From your vantage point, do you think legalization will cause an increase in use among teens? — Gary, Huntington Beach
Comments
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One night at dinner we mentioned that we needed some medical marjuyana. Immediately the two young people who were with us were both on the phone making arrangements. This concerned me. Its use does have a dumbing down effect and we need good minds. Legalized it would reduce/eliminate the exposure to the black market. Tax monies could be used for education.
Would they use it more? These two say they don’t use it. I don’t know. I do know they drink.
Personally, I feel college bound students who have good communication/discussions with their parents are less likely to go beyond occasional use. It seems our culture needs to give students from rough family backgrounds who may not be intellectually bright some other meaningful education and self-worth.
From AndersonCoopers report sounds like eliminating the flow into the us is the only way to stop . . .
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Hi Lauren, I read your article on marijuana today by accident and was surprised that someone as educated as you (with a degree) is not aware of the dangers of this drug. The idea that legalizing it would eventually lead to the decline of its use is speculative at best! It’s like the promises of all the states, including California, that promised that they would save our schools by legalizing gambling – and hundreds of millions of dollars would go into education. Did that happen? No! The net result was that they pay an administrator $450,000 a year to manage the program – and 5% of the money goes into education! 5%!!!! What a price for the millions of people pouring their hard earned money into first, government bureaucracy – and second, the coffers of Indian tribes who all drive around in Rolls Royce’s and live in $5 million homes! Now they want to take this plan to the Internet so that you can gamble away your money in the comfort of your home!
On marijuana, I never used the drug – but it is a killer! The idea that it doesn’t lead to worse addiction is not true! You can find thousands and thousands of stories on the Internet where lives were destroyed. I had first hand experience in the Army in Vietnam – soldiers who used it only casually had poorer vision, poorer hearing and poorer reflexes – and died on patrol. I lost a lot of buddies that way! I had quite a few whose brains were fried and they never were the same – never!!!!
So – how many lives should we give up to be more liberal in our thinking? 10 – 1,000 – 10,000 – or how about a million? The government will take the tax money – spend it bailing out another car company – put back 5% into education and young lives will be shattered. That’s a fact you can count on.
I am not here to judge you. It is still a free society. I just wanted to share my views. I will continue to tell my grandchildren the dangers of any kind of drugs and will never encourage the legalizing of any of them that could take just one life.
Does any of this make sense to you or am I just whistling Dixie? I don’t expect to hear back from you but then again – maybe you will surprise me?
Dick Parsons
San Clemente, CA -
It’s funny that this question comes up right now because I have a homework assignment in strategic studies about the legalization of weed. I am supposed to come up with what I would choose. As of right now I am not quite sure. I am very torn on this issue because first of all, I very very strongly disagree with any drug including marijuana and I am definitely against having it available to those who can get it easily. However, I do think that it would be able to help our economy immensely. I think overall that my opinion would be that Marijuana should not be legalized and I say this because I am against any substance which harms the body. I think that we can find another way of coping with the economy, a way that will not put even more people at health risks
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I am pretty sure that marijuana isn’t physically addictive, and if there was an age limit on it, like cigarettes or beer, and limits on how much you can have, and have in possession at a certain time in regards for how old you are, and laws like, not smoking and driving like not drinking and driving, and only being able to smoke in certain area, it could work. They just have to put a lot of rules and regulations in place.
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Regarding the Marijuana issue – I think there’s a lot of debate and controversy to be had over the matter. On the one hand, legalizing Marijuana would bring a good sum of revenue for the state of California, and at this point anything helps. But on the other hand, legislating a taxable crop that has been illegal for so long might bring a whole new bag of problems. Such as, what will become of all the criminals put away because of the sale, growth or transportation of pot. Where will it be sold, how will it be regulated, and will this be endorsing the use of a once illegal drug. Many believe that Marijuana is a gateway drug that often leads to the use of more serious drugs. Could legislating Marijuana turn more young “experimenters” into long time users? Another concern of mine is what kind of message will our youth interpret because of this act. If Marijuana is determined legal, will they doubt the seriousness of other types of drugs? Could Marijuana legislation open the doors to legalization of other currently illegal drugs. These types of questions need to be taken into account before legalization. It all seems like a bit of a contradiction to me, but in all honesty this economic situation does not look any prettier.
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I read a lot about it in The Bee, main article and letters to the editor, and found that there really are not any good arguments for keeping it illegal, and if there are, they are no doubt somewhat archaic or derived from the feeling that we may have actually been wrong all this time, in keeping it illegal. People who argue that it would create more addicts that would need help are, in my opinion, wrong. We already have facilities set up for drug and alcohol abuse, and pot is easier for kids to come by than alcohol. On top of that, we’d be saving a bundle in prison costs, putting drug cartels out of business, simulating our economy, not only through sales of pot, but through the extra food people will buy.
Treat it like alcohol. 21 to buy/use, not in public, and not around schools. “Bar” type places could be restaurants to keep customers there and make more money, and you’d never have to worry about fights or anything else like that. The hardest thing to do would be to make people get up and leave.
Also, with the government regulating it, people would get higher quality stuff, or they could grow it themselves (if over 21). Although “cutting” drugs tends to happen mostly with harder drugs like cocaine and heroine, it can still happen with pot. A little PCP mixed in with weed is not fun. If you’re optimistic about it, and expect that the government treat it as equivalent to alcohol, I can’t see how we can go wrong. Seeing that it technically is smoking, I think advertising should be restricted to on-store only. Baby steps people, baby steps.
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I dont see why you guys have such a problem with pot. Honestly, it should be legalized. It is completely different that meth, coke, crack, etc… IT SHOULD BE LEGAL!!!!!!! I should know. It is more like ciggarettes so if your gonna say no pot than no ciggarettes. that my opinion. thank you.
