GLAMORIZATION OF MARIJUANA POSES RISKS FOR SOCIETY

The use of medical marijuana has recently become newsworthy again in light
of the Canadian government's decision to open a pot farm to grow a national
supply of the narcotic plant for those deemed in medical need of it. Our
neighbors to the north have decided that marijuana is a real benefit to
those with various medical conditions and are therefore steaming full speed
ahead with their plan to both grow and hand out the drug through a national
system. This is not surprising from a country with an already lax view of
the drug and will likely pave the way for more decriminalization of
marijuana use in Canada.

To some this is news to rejoice over, but in reality one should be concerned
over the growing acceptance and glamorization of marijuana. The drug may
indeed have some therapeutic effects for people suffering from various
sicknesses, but the vast majority of people smoking or ingesting marijuana
in this country today do so for purely recreational reasons.

Supporters of medical marijuana seem blind to this fact and only harp on
about what they regard as the plant's seemingly spiritual healing abilities.
They do not seem to understand that most people use marijuana only to
support their addictive personalities, not to heal their bodies. And using
marijuana in this fashion makes the plant no nobler than a can of beer.

At issue here is the fact that as the drug becomes more socially accepted in
this country through its decriminalization for medical reasons, the ill
effects of marijuana will be ignored. Any study on drug use in this country
will show that marijuana is the most pervasive of all narcotics, and more
young people are learning how to use it than any other drug.

While the pleasant effects of marijuana soothe anxiety and stimulate the
appetites of those suffering from chronic diseases, the drug saps the
ambition and fuels the addictive tendencies of the average person. There is
no factual support for the tired argument that marijuana is a "gateway drug"
that leads its users to heroin or cocaine, but basic sense will lead one to
understand that any drug is dangerous to a person with an addiction problem.
Be it alcohol, tobacco or marijuana, those who want to will get hooked on
drugs no matter what substance they start out using.

And if people with a pattern of addiction take up marijuana, it is very
likely that they could go on to use more serious drugs. The decision to use
marijuana is easier to reach if one believes that the drug is a harmless and
healthy substance instead of the powerful narcotic it actually is.

Therefore, in the debate over medical marijuana, this nation needs to move
forward in a way mindful of marijuana's risks. Especially in Eugene, the
drug is considered somewhat socially acceptable. Decades ago small-time
grifters sold miraculous cure-all tonics that were usually nothing more than
codeine and alcohol to gullible folks who believed the fancy talk that a few
doses would set them up good. Today a specter of that same confidence scam
hovers over the medical marijuana debate. When we focus too much on the
possible benefits of the drug, we underestimate its threats and leave more
people susceptible to those threats.

Millions of people use marijuana daily. And most of those people lead
successful lives, just like the millions who drink alcoholic beverages
daily. But we do not praise alcohol as if it were a wonder drug, and we
should not do so with marijuana.