STATE NEEDS TO REACH CONSENSUS ON MARIJUANA

Who knew that when North Carolina and Duplin County authorities cited
members of country music legend Willie Nelson's band on marijuana and
alcohol charges in January that it would turn into an uproar that
began in Eastern North Carolina and has swept the state.

Heck, there's even a song about it that's getting some notice in Tennessee.

The matter has divided the rural farming community where Nelson was
schedule to play. Some think that agents from the state Division of
Alcohol Law Enforcement were just doing their jobs on Jan. 28, when
they searched the band's bus outside the Duplin County Events Center
in Kenansville, adding that the band members are not above the law.

Others contend the agents - working under the name "Operation On the
Road Again," which is a note to a famous Nelson song - were there to
sniff out a crime and took unnecessary steps to make life
uncomfortable for a famous guest in the community. Longtime State
Sen. Charlie Albertson, a Duplin County Democrat and musician from
Beulaville, recorded a song decrying the charges. "Leave the man
alone," Albertson pleads in his song.

Opinions are strong. With this in mind, it might be wise for North
Carolina policy makers to use the "Willie Nelson Incident" - as we'll
call it - as a springboard for a review of the state's attitude
toward drug enforcement.

Research tends to show that, scientifically speaking, marijuana is
safer than alcohol. For example, one study shows that alcohol has a
stronger effect on brain development in teenagers than marijuana.
Another shows that marijuana is less addictive than alcohol or nicotine.

A move to legalize its use would also free up a lot if resources in
our criminal justice system. That would include court time and
related expenses along with the untold hours that police and
probation officers spend dealing with the issue.

We're talking about decriminalizing the use of marijuana, not its
abuse. People who get high smoking a joint and then get behind the
wheel of a car should continue to be prosecuted for DWI. Freedom and
responsibility go hand in hand.

Then there is the issue of medical marijuana, which has a number of
beneficial uses. Those include helping overcome nausea, stimulating
appetite and treating glaucoma.

Legalizing marijuana could also have another positive effect. A lot
of drug dealers would have to get off the street corner and get a
real job. If those who would light up a joint can get it legally in
stores, why would they want to buy it from illegal dealers?

The issue is an emotional one, as demonstrated by the reaction to
"Willie Nelson Incident." But it's a matter that deserves study and debate.