THE OTHER WAR

While the world keeps its attention on the wars in the Middle East,
there is another war being fought against a different kind of "enemy"
here in the United States. It is a war that is perpetuated by a long
history of cultural myths and unfounded popular prejudices, but
nonetheless millions of Americans have been arrested and prosecuted as
accomplices of the enemy in this war. That enemy is the marijuana plant.

Despite years of research and evidence to the contrary, many Americans
still believe - and our federal government still claims - that the use
of marijuana is a serious threat to our country's wellbeing, and even
that (as U.S. Drug Czar John Walters recently opined) marijuana is on
an equal footing with cocaine and heroin in terms of danger to the
public. As a result of such widespread beliefs, our government has
continued to wage a costly fight against the private and medical use
of the cannabis sativa plant; in college language, smoking pot.

President Jimmy Carter said: "Penalties against drug use should not be
more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself." I
agree, but I think that this statement can be expanded into: penalties
against drug use should not be more damaging to a nation than the use
of the drug itself. Apparently, however, our Justice Department
doesn't agree.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime
Report, released in October, police arrested approximately 697,082
people in 2002 for crimes relating to marijuana. This number comprises
about half of all drug arrests in the nation, and exceeds by far the
total number of arrests for all violent crimes combined: murder, rape,
robbery, assault, etc. Nearly all of those arrested (88 percent) were
not arrested for distribution, but for simple possession of the drug,
even for medical use. Included in these arrests were those who
distributed or used marijuana in accordance with democratically-enacted
state laws, such as have been passed in Colorado and 11 other states.

These astounding numbers might be justifiable if marijuana was truly the
great threat it is perceived to be. However, decades of research and
popular opinion point to the opposite conclusion: that it is not only
dangerous, but could in fact be a potential goldmine for medicinal
purposes. Consider:

- -Not a single person has ever died from smoking marijuana. This can be
compared to the hundreds of thousands that die each year from legal
drugs like tobacco, alcohol and even over the counter drugs like aspirin.

- - Most major medical journals have written that the health risks
associated with even long-term marijuana use are minimal. For
instance, the British medical journal, Lancet wrote that: "The smoking
of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health. ... It would be
reasonable to judge cannabis as less of a threat ... than alcohol or
tobacco." The American Public Health Association, like many other
organizations and several states, has called for Congress "to move
expeditiously to make cannabis available as a legal medicine."

- - Marijuana has been linked in studies to relief of pain due to a wide
variety of afflictions, including AIDS, cancer and other terminal
diseases. This is why organizations as prestigious as the American
Medical Association have urged that more studies be done on the
subject, due to the potential medicinal uses of the plant.

There are, of course, other issues besides the health risks and
benefits of marijuana. For example, readers might recall recent
commercial advertisements asserting a direct connection between
smoking marijuana and committing irresponsible or even violent acts,
the most graphic of which was a group of youths that hit a girl on a
bike because they were "high." Despite the emotional tug of these
advertisements, they hardly amount to a logical argument.

First, there are so many causes of irresponsible driving that to focus
on one that is relatively harmless is pointless and rhetorically
dishonest. To be consistent, the federal government would have to
sponsor ads condemning cell phone usage, alcohol consumption,
cigarette smoking, pain medication, fast food, car stereos and
probably cars. For good measure, why not assault rifles and machine
guns as well?

Second, this argument misrepresents the issue. Of course no one
advocates driving while significantly impaired by any substance,
marijuana or otherwise. Even those most in favor of legalizing
marijuana state clearly that ingesting marijuana is an issue of
personal responsibility and accountability, as is any decision to
partake in any potentially dangerous activity. "Although cannabis is
said by most experts to be safer than alcohol and many prescription
drugs with motorists, responsible cannabis consumers never operate
motor vehicles in an impaired condition." (From the Web site of the
National Organization for Marijuana Law Reform.)

Most of the civilized world has recognized that the benefits of
marijuana usage (medical, personal and otherwise) far outweigh the
risks. Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Canada, Sweden, Norway
and other European nations have reduced marijuana possession to the
level of jaywalking, and, in some cases, eliminated penalties for its
usage altogether. Americans have also become aware of the drug's
benefits. According to a Pew Research Center Poll in 2001, for
example, approximately 73 percent of Americans favor legalizing
marijuana for medicinal use.

While popular sentiment does not necessarily make something right, the
point is that a consistently democratic government would recognize the
currents of reason and legal change. Any objective comparison between
the benefits and risks of marijuana finds the evidence on the side of
the benefits, as much of the world has realized. Not only are there
not any compelling reasons to outlaw the drug, there are in fact
positive arguments for its use - medical and otherwise.

As there are more issues than I have had space to bring up on the
subject, however, I would encourage those interested in the subject to
look for themselves into this important and contentious issue. I think
that most will find that our government is fighting a costly and
ultimately futile battle against what could potentially be a great
benefit for our collective community.

Brent is a freshman at CSU studying philosophy. His column runs every
other Tuesday.