As we move closer to real marijuana legalization, what is the relationship between the marijuana movement and drug policy reform, how is it evolving, and will it continue at all post-legalization?
What concerns me about this is the prospect of marijuana advocates turning against other drug users. I know that back in the 1980s, the rhetoric we were using included the idea that by legalizing marijuana it would be easier for law enforcement to focus on hard drugs. In the past decade, arguments favoring medical marijuana have included the idea that patients could cut down on or stop using opiates.
That’s great, if it’s appropriate, yet I feel that in some cases, some advocates may have crossed a line and demonized opiate users. If marijuana legalization only means we can arrest and process more hard drug users, that’s hardly a victory.
I also share your concerns, especially as more people have jumped on the legalize marijuana bandwagon.
If you listen to the harbage on CNN, their argument always centers around pro/con marijuana, they argue how using it is beneficial! This type of conversation won’t translate to actually ending prohibition.
The entire focus shouldn’t be about marijuana being safe, consuming substances is never good for the body. I would also mention our high fat diet is unsafe, not to mention listening to right wing talk shows!
The focus should be on why prohibition is horrific policy, and how it causes an extreme amount of harm to our society.
We need to slap down these marijuana isn’t that bad arguments, It may be true…. but that’s not the reason we need to legalize.
The most alarming trend is the suggestion that marijuana works better than opiods for pain. This just isn’t true and there has been research showing that marijuana can make pain worse for people. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7058193.stm
Opiods should be legalized before marijuana. At the very least doctors should be more open to prescribing them to people who complain of severe pain. Doctors have a tendency to only prescribe opiods to people with pain that is visible such as on an x-Ray. There are some horrific states of pain people can be stuck with which can only be controlled with opiods but these people are being routinely refused access.
Marijuana advocates have been known to preach marijuana to people with pain issues as though it will help everyone and as though opiods are unnecessary. It is as if there is something wrong if a person says marijuana doesn’t help but opiods do. They must be an “addict” or something. The doctors do the same thing with, only offering seizure medicines and antidepressants that have pain relief as a minor side effect.
People with pain should have the right to choose the medication they find helps them the most.