LEGALIZE MARIJUANA? NO WAY!

The cloak is quickly falling from the supporters of medical marijuana who
have succeeded in passing referenda in several states. What many of these
supporters really want is to legalize the drug for everyone, which is the
weighty subject Nevada voters will tackle in November.

Utahns, for obvious demographic reasons, can be expected to stay away from
this craze, if it indeed becomes one. But if this state again finds itself
an island of sanity, as it is now when it comes to legalized gambling, we
think people here should remind themselves of a few facts.

Marijuana is a drug that at best causes short-term memory loss and inhibits
the ability to learn. As web sites such as theantidrug.com outline, it
interferes with the user's ability to think clearly, as well as with his or
her physical coordination and perception of the world. Its main ingredient
is commonly known by the acronym THC. This chemical changes the way the
brain's learning and memory systems process sensory information, and it
prevents the brain's normal integration of this information with emotions
and motivations.

Research has shown that regular marijuana smokers suffer these effects long
after they discontinue use of the drug. These people have performed
noticeably poorer than their counterparts in tests as part of controlled
experiments. They also tend to be more accepting of anti-social behavior
and more aggressive and rebellious than non-users.

In addition to all this, experts believe regular marijuana users may suffer
similar respiratory problems as cigarette smokers, with frequent coughing
and symptoms similar to bronchitis.

Not everyone who smokes marijuana will graduate to bigger and harder drugs,
but many experts say virtually all people who use hard drugs began with
marijuana. And, by the way, the latest trend among drug users is to dig the
tobacco out of a cigar and fill the space with marijuana mixed with crack
cocaine, or some other powerful drug. The line between weed and other drugs
has always been blurry, at best.

Nevada's referendum would legalize possession of up to 3 ounces of
marijuana, and it would set up a bureaucracy to oversee how it is grown,
distributed and sold. All legal sales would be taxed.

Through laws, governments send a powerful message about what is acceptable
behavior in a civilized society. Perhaps, as many have said, the penalties
for simple marijuana possession have been too stiff through the years. But
we can't imagine one good reason why anyone would now want to turn the
smoking of marijuana into a sanctioned, acceptable activity.