Legalizing Marijuana

Legalizing Marijuana
– Ah-Ha Finally Some Limits

By Ned Wicker

Defenders of medical marijuana will certainly go to the mat
in defense of their drug of choice for controlling pain and other medical
conditions. There will be staunch
arguments in favor of legalizing the drug for use by the general population,
probably using the “everybody is doing it” line of reasoning. The public debate isn’t going away anytime
soon, but at least there is some moments of common sense that come to light.

The door has been
opened in the US

The door to “medical
marijuana” had been opened and it didn’t take long for cleaver growers to
discover that they could make a lot of money.
Hiding behind “legitimate” medical purposes, the weed is grown,
distributed to “patients” and anyone who says it’s not completely on the
up-and-up is being mean spirited towards those who suffer without it. This also opens the door to legalizing marijuana.

Pot is a business

But if this
enterprise is strictly to relief pain and suffering and completely legit, why
would the Montana Senate and State House act to severely reduce the number of
marijuana users and the ever increasing pot business in the state? If people are acting within the confines of
the law, and following the spirit of the law, why would such a move be
necessary? It’s necessary because this
whole medical marijuana business is nothing more than a means of circumventing
the law.

Stephen Dockery’s
April 27 story on the Huffington Post reported that both houses passed a
measure which will head to Governor Brian Schweitzer for “his signature, veto
or amendment recommendations.” The
governor has already cast is veto shooting down a repeal of the medical
marijuana law.

The revised measures would seriously reduce the trade and
create a not-for-profit system, which would in effect wipe out the profitable
growers industry. The new measures would
also call for stricter proof that medical marijuana is needed. So patients will undergo greater scrutiny
before their names are placed on the medical marijuana registry. The state would also have authority to
oversee and inspect growing operations, and providers would not be able to
charge patients for the marijuana.

Is anything really
necessary?

It’s an interesting
case because if you follow the logic of it all, would not the same argument
apply to the pharmaceutical industry? How much of anything is really necessary? Take this pill, take that pill, or smoke this
marijuana. American free enterprise
allows for people to search for potential new markets, to find a need and fill
it. It’s interesting that the state
legislature in Montana
understands the needs for control and we’ll see how it plays out with the
governor.

Medical marijuana is
an invitation for human nature to take control and abuse the “medical”
option. People will always stretch the
limits. They will manipulate and
rationalize until they justify their actions.
For every legitimate case for
using marijuana as a treatment option, I hazard to guess how many illegitimate
claims will clutter the discussion. For the one who needs the treatment, there are
so many others who just want to smoke pot legally.

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