SESSIONS SHOULD RE-THINK MARIJUANA POLICY

Anyone who has ever read my column knows that I am an avid supporter
of medical marijuana. Recently, I sent letters to several of our
elected officials concerning Alabama Compassionate Care and the
Michael Phillips Compassionate Care Act, which would make marijuana
legal in Alabama for medicinal purposes. Thus far, Senator Jeff
Sessions was the only one to reply.

"While I understand the arguments that you and others have made in
support of legalizing marijuana, I am still concerned that the
legalization of the drug, or decriminalizing its use, would encourage
today's youth to turn to more deadly substances such as heroin and
cocaine," Senator Sessions said in his reply. "At a hearing of the
Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, we listened to four
teenagers, each of whom is recovering from heroin addiction. I was
struck by the fact that the first drug each had used was marijuana. I
believe our policies should deter people from using these substances,
not encourage or endorse them."

Senator Sessions, it is time to get some new material.

First of all, let us just get this out in the open: teenagers are
going to smoke marijuana whether it is legal or not.

Second, it does not surprise me that the first drug they tried was
marijuana. I do not know if he includes alcohol or cigarettes as
drugs, but I would find it odd if all four had tried marijuana before alcohol.

However, the Senator made no mention of how they progressed from one
to the other. Did these four teenagers suddenly develop an
uncontrollable urge to do heroin after smoking marijuana? If studies
are correct, this is not the case.

In today's age of information, it is not hard to find a study on the
internet that says what you want to hear, but report after report -
including at least two sanctioned by the federal government - shows
that it is not smoking marijuana, but acquiring marijuana that puts
teenagers at risk of moving on to more dangerous and addictive substances.

The only true "gateway" between marijuana and hard drugs is drug dealers.

There are many pot dealers out there who do not sell to kids, who are
just trying to make ends meet or help a brother out. Then there are
drug dealers who use marijuana as a tool to get teens in the door and
then try to get them addicted to harder drugs because they know that
once addicted to heroin or meth, a teenager will lie, cheat, steal
and recruit new users just to get a fix.

That is your gateway between marijuana and hard drug use. Do not get
me wrong, I am not advocating selling marijuana to minors, but if
they obtained marijuana through the same avenues that they obtain
beer - stealing it from their parents or getting an older brother,
sister or friend to buy it for them - they would not be put in the
position of being pressured by drug dealers.

Third, let us tighten the discussion to the original topic: medical marijuana.

According to most studies, the second most abused drug by teenagers
is prescription narcotics that they steal from their parents,
grandparents and friends. Percocet, Valium, and many other
medications fall into this category. An effective marijuana regiment
can replace many of these drugs.

Therefore, if marijuana reduces the number of these narcotics
available to children, it is all the better. Every one of these
medications has deaths attributed to them every year, but the
consumption of marijuana has never been proven to be a cause of death.

If my child is going to steal my medication, I would much rather they
steal my marijuana than my Percocet because I know the consumption
itself will not kill them.

Mr. Sessions, the people of this state need a senator with the vision
to see the truth and serve the citizens of Alabama. We do not need
someone who spouts the same party rhetoric that led Ronald Regan to
proclaim, "I now have absolute proof that smoking even one marijuana
cigarette is equal in brain damage to being on Bikini Island during
an H-bomb blast."