TODAY'S DEBATE: LEGALIZING MEDICAL MARIJUANA (CON BY DARCY JENSEN)

Proposal Packed With Unintended Consequences

This question will be one each South Dakota resident will need to
answer in the fall election. I believe to make a sound decision it is
important to analyze the issue by gathering facts, looking at the
outcome for states that already have legalized marijuana, and
determine the impact of this decision on your personal life,
business, community and state.

If medical marijuana use is legal, how do you regulate legal use and
what about the cost incurred? Looking at three states that have
medical marijuana might provide some answers.

In Oregon, 20,000 citizens are part of the medical marijuana program
but only 8 percent are using marijuana for serious pain or medical
issues such as cancer, glaucoma or HIV/AIDS. This same trend holds
true when looking at Colorado and San Diego, which have 5 percent and
2 percent, respectfully.

More than 90 percent of cardholders report using the marijuana for
simple aches and pains. Children younger than 18 can be medical
marijuana cardholders with parental permission. This presents a
challenge to our schools across the state. How can we have a
drug-free school zone and have students attending school under the
influence or teachers teaching under the influence? There is no way
to regulate dosage or even know whether the marijuana was bought legally.

Oregon is trying to create guidelines to address both illegal and
legal marijuana use on school campuses. Is that what we want?

As a substance abuse and prevention counselor, I believe this sends a
confusing message to our youth. We have provided prevention education
to help our youth remain drug free. How do we explain that when
someone is holding a card, marijuana use suddenly is acceptable and
safe? I am not comfortable with the thought of my grandchildren
riding in a bus driven by a cardholder.

Schools are not the only place where unintended consequences for
legalizing marijuana are found. One of the largest construction
companies in Oregon found it has no legal protection from financial
liabilities associated with property damage, equipment loss, injury
or death when the worker is part of the medical marijuana program. Do
you think South Dakota businesses and employers are willing to accept
these risks?

There is a safe alternative to smoking marijuana. Smoking is a poor
way to deliver medication, and there are no other FDA-approved
medications that are administered by smoking. Medical marijuana
already exists. It is Marinol, a synthetic pill form of marijuana.

So when the supporters start their campaign asking for your support
to help the extremely ill and keep honest marijuana users out of
prison, remember the facts. There already is synthetic medical marijuana.

In South Dakota prisons, a small percentage of the population is
serving time for marijuana possession, and of those few, most had
more than 10 pounds of marijuana in their possession at the time of
their arrest, which clearly is not for personal use.

So as a lifelong South Dakota resident, mother, grandmother, business
owner and addiction professional, I know my answer on Election Day: No.