NORML’s Senior Policy Analyst Paul Armentano makes a convincing argument about how we can re-legalize marijuana. We’ll discuss that and other topics on tomorrow’s Stash, but I wanted to post this clip of his essay:
MAKING POT LEGAL: WE CAN DO IT — HERE’S HOW
This month marks my 13th year working for marijuana law reform. During this time I’ve witnessed many successes and many more signs of progress. Nevertheless, it remains frustratingly clear that despite sincere efforts and millions poured into campaigns, very little headway has been made toward attaining the larger, essential goals of the movement — specifically, abolishing the criminal laws that result in the arrest and prosecution of more than half a million Americans every year for possessing even small amounts of herb and establishing a framework for regulating legal access to marijuana to adults. Is either one of these goals achievable? Certainly. Is either goal realistic? Not until we as a movement instigate significant shifts in both public attitude and political opinion.
…Legalizing Cannabis Like Alcohol Will Send a Public a Message That Pot Is “OK”
Of all the concerns commonly expressed by the public, fears that marijuana regulation will imply that pot is “OK” may be the easiest to respond to. Why? Because compared to the use and abuse of other legal intoxicants — most notably alcohol and tobacco — the responsible use of marijuana is, by typical societal standards, “OK.” Pot lacks the dependence liability of tobacco or booze and, unlike alcohol — or even aspirin — marijuana consumption is incapable of causing a fatal overdose. According to government survey data, the majority of Americans who use pot do so intermittently — not daily — and most voluntarily cease their habit by time they reach their early 30s. (Compare this use pattern to most people’s use of cigarettes, a habit that often continues unabated throughout one’s lifetime.) Of course, inhaling marijuana smoke over time may be associated with certain pulmonary risks, such as wheezing and chest tightness. However, most of these adverse effects can be mitigated by vaporizing cannabis — a practice that heats marijuana to a temperature where active cannabis vapors form, but below the point of combustion.
It is time for marijuana law reformers to embrace rather than dispute the notion that the responsible use of cannabis by adults falls well within the ambit of choice we permit individuals in a free society. Reformers shouldn’t be afraid to educate the public as to the relative safety of cannabis, particularly when compared to the use of other common intoxicants. Recently, a regional education campaign comparing and contrasting pot use with alcohol launched by the group SAFER (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation) resulted in a majority of Denver voters electing to do away with minor marijuana law enforcement within the city’s limits. The enactment of a similar marijuana “image enhancement” campaign by reformers on a national level would arguably result in a significant increase in public support for broader legalization.
I’ve always believed that it’s the moral issue that most impedes our efforts – that somehow smoking pot is intrinsically “dirty”, the province of “slackers”, and a mark of “immaturity”.
Personally, I make the case that smoking pot is the smart choice if you wanna get intoxicated (the SAFER case). As George Carlin said, “It don’t make your breath stink and you won’t puke on your shoes.”
That’s why I love media portrayals of pot smoking that show it neutrally or at least as no big deal. I saw one of the episodes of the new “Bionic Woman” series (thankfully, only one), where the bionic woman is leading her 14-year-old sister away from a stern lecture at the office of the young girl’s principal. Bionic Woman says, “I can’t believe you! Caught smoking pot behind the bleachers? How terribly cliché.”
And that was it. No demonization of the girl, no plot line that has the girl “paying the price” for her demon weed, no lectures about saying no to drugs. It was as if the girl had been caught toilet-papering the cafeteria.
I encourage everyone to take the positive message public. For example, many times when a politician or celebrity does something stupid, someone will remark, “My goodness, what the hell are they smoking?” Don’t let a slur like that stand! Would you let them say (of a female), “My goodness, is it her time of the month or what?” It’s just as bigoted a remark. I respond with, “They must be smoking crack, because marijuana smokers are smart responsible people.”
Remember, this is a civil rights issue. We must fight every assumed negative perception if we hope to make any headway.