DANGERS, COSTS OF LEGALIZING MARIJUANA TOO GREAT

In the past several decades, drug use in the world has significantly
increased. Research has dramatically opened the door for therapeutic
answers to cancer, mental illness and chronic illnesses. This has
changed the way most people perceive diagnosis and assisted many
people to live normal productive lives.

Yet, illegal drug use has also increased greatly and caused an untold
number of problems. There is a thin line between therapeutic purposes
and misuse of a drug, one that our society must monitor proactively.

The dispute over the legalization of marijuana in general and
specifically for medicinal purposes is an intense debate in our
communities and law bodies.

The reasons for legalizing this drug are many and include the
citation of the legality of cigarettes and alcohol despite their ill
effects. Also, many supporters view the legitimizing of marijuana as
a means for the government to eliminate the criminal market and to
gain income through taxation of the product.

In recent years though, much research has been done regarding the
adolescent brain. More and more evidence indicates that the brain is
not fully mature until around the age of 25. The insurance industry
has long understood this milestone and rates noticeably drop after this age.

Studies involving drug use among teenagers and older adults have also
yielded some interesting results in how the brain responds
differently to drugs before and after brain maturity. According to
the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the studies have shown teen
tobacco users are more quickly addicted to nicotine compared to
adults, they want more nicotine as adults and become more sensitive
to cocaine as adults all because of early exposure to tobacco.

Early use of marijuana also has more adverse effects on youth
compared to adults. Again the NIDA studies show that youth who began
using cannabis before the age of 17 had significantly lower verbal IQ
scores (the ability to think with words) than those who began using
at an older age and also compared to non-users. Long-term use was
also associated with attitude and personality changes and
particularly a condition called "amotivational syndrome."

According to an April 2002 edition of Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, for every pack of cigarettes sold, it costs $7.18 in
increased health care costs and lost worker productivity. In
Illinois, the base tax rate for a pack of cigarettes is 98 cents,
hardly enough tax money to recoup the financial cost incurred due to
cigarette use.

As it stands, the government is not able to counter the total cost of
tobacco use through product taxation and it is unrealistic to think
that legalizing cannabis would provide our government a net increase
in tax revenues.

There is a psychological barrier to cross when going from legal to
illegal substance use. If our country decides to legally peddle this
drug to an adult population, it will not stop the ill effects of this
drug and it will give adolescents another reason to use a product
that will alter their brain and probably make them more sensitive to
other drug addictions. Furthermore, statistics show that few youth
use other illegal drugs without first trying marijuana.

One has to question who benefits from the legalization of marijuana;
certainly not the young people who will equate legalization with
safety and use the drug more easily because mom and dad left their
pack of joints on the counter, or have an older adult purchase it for
them. Not to say this doesn't already happen, but undoubtedly, use
will increase.

Granted, the people who use cannabis to alleviate nausea and increase
their appetite have a valid need to treat their condition. Yet, the
medical community is hesitant to promote the smoking of marijuana as
a suitable treatment due to the ill effects of smoking. Much research
is being conducted to isolate the active components in cannabis to
make safer drugs which can help cancer patients.

Our society is right to prohibit the use of cigarettes and alcohol to
underage youth. Research is proving that this action has been a good
one due to the higher adverse effects of drugs on the adolescent
brain. But just because tobacco and alcohol are legal for adults does
not make them safe, yet they are perceived as being safe due to their
over the counter access. The same would be true for marijuana.

There is a great risk in legitimizing marijuana, and once that
barrier is down, our country will not be able to rebuild that wall.
Taxation will not provide nearly enough revenue to counter the ill
effects of increased drug use and most of all it will send a false
message of safety to everyone, especially to vulnerable young people
who cannot afford to adversely alter their brains for the rest of their lives.