MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION: A THREAT (OR NOT)

The final installment of a three-part series: Cannabis use began
thousands of years ago, so why is it an issue now?

For thousands of years, humans have used cannabis for a variety of
purposes. Hemp fibres were a source for rope and cloth as long a
10,000 years ago. It has been used to make paper in China starting
2,000 years ago.

All vertebrates, including mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles have
naturally co-evolved with cannabis and have receptors for and produce
substances called "endocannabinoids," which are "substances that are
nearly identical to compounds found in the cannabis plant, hence
their name," says Dr. Alan Shackelford, a Harvard and University of
Heidelberg School of Medicine-trained physician.

According to Shackelford, the endocannabinoid system was discovered
in the 1980s, and helps maintain balance in most body functions and
organs and is a very important feature of the human body. In
particular, according to Shackelford, "The central nervous system,
the immune system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, and
the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts all contain cannabinoid
receptors and are regulated by cannabinoids, with one important
exception: The brain stem, where, among other vital functions,
respiration is controlled."

Therefore, cannabis does not suppress breathing, even at high doses.
Endocannabinoid production declines as people age, which may
contribute to development of age-related and degenerative diseases
such as Alzheimer's Disease, arthritis, and osteoporosis. The only
source of endocannabinoids outside of the human body is the cannabis plant.

So, why is the legalization of marijuana, especially for medical
purposes, such a heated issue?

A common reason (and, as some would say, myth) is the idea that
marijuana is a "gateway drug" to other, harder drugs such as cocaine
or methamphetamines. Meg Whitman, Republican candidate for Governor
of California, is strongly against marijuana legalization. She says
marijuana is "a gateway drug whose use would expand greatly among our
children if it were to be legalized."

Another reason, mentioned by Canada's own Michael Ignatieff (the
leader of the Liberal Party of Canada), is simply the fear of lazy
citizens: "I want you to be out there digging a well, digging a
ditch, getting a job, raising a family [...] doing stuff, instead of
parking your life on the end of a marijuana cigarette," says
Ignatieff. In addition, Prime Minister Stephen Harper mentions in a
"Talk Canada" YouTube interview, "I [want] people to understand what
we're really talking about here when we're talking about the drug
trade. [...] There are lots of crimes a lot worse than [...] casual
use of marijuana. But when people are buying from the drug trade,
they are not buying from their neighbour. They are buying from
international cartels that are involved in unimaginable violence,"
which sounds like a good reason to legalize the drug so that it can
be a controlled substance, but he also mentions that he is against this idea.

There are, however, other household names, such as Dr. David Suzuki,
who are in favour of legalization. Suzuki says, "It should be
legalized. When we look at the two drugs that are killing the most
people, cigarettes and alcohol, that marijuana should be illegal is
ridiculous." The Hill Times of Ottawa writes that the former Canadian
justice minister, Martin Cauchon, presented measures to decriminalize
the possession of small amounts of marijuana during his term from
2002-2003. His legislation did include strong measures to stop drug
trafficking.

There are provincial political parties fighting for the legalization
of marijuana in Canada, as well as the national Marijuana Party of
Canada, which received 0.06 per cent of the vote in the 2006 federal
election. Two major parties, the Green Party and the Liberal Party,
have tried to legalize the drug. As examined in past instalments,
marijuana is federally legal when used as a medication. Vancouver's
Preventing Harm from Psychoactive Drug Use plan aims to regulate the
sale of cannabis.

In the United States, individual states are loosening their laws on
marijuana for medical use. Tom McLellan, the deputy director of the
White House Office of National Drug Control, however, states that the
Obama administration still opposes the use of marijuana for its
medical benefit, even though Obama's Attorney General, Eric Holder,
stated the administration would not prosecute users or distributors
of medical marijuana as long as they were following state laws. The
International Association of Chiefs of Police also opposes the
legalization of marijuana, fearing it will "cause drugged-driving
accidents and other societal and health problems that come with drug
abuse" (quoted in USA Today).

Oddly enough, Dirk J. Korf of the University of Amsterdam's Bonger
Institute of Criminology conducted a study which was presented at the
Hearing of the Special Committee on Illegal Drugs in Ottawa in 2001.
He found that in the United States in 1999, "The [use] among
Americans aged twelve years and above is over twice as high as it is
in the Netherlands," where marijuana is legal as long as it is bought
in "coffee shops" by those over eighteen years of age. Korf concluded
in his paper, "It is unlikely that the decriminalization of cannabis
will cause an increase in cannabis use."

Clearly, the marijuana legalization issue is contentious. Perhaps the
people will speak and push governments to decriminalize or even
lessen laws, a complicated and long process that also may involve
changing a country's constitution, such as in the United States. In
many ways, some countries are on their way to creating a situation in
which the drug may be controlled just as cigarettes or alcohol are
now. Only time will tell.