Pubdate: Thu, 08 Aug 2002 Source: Deseret News (UT) Copyright: 2002 Deseret News Publishing Corp. Contact: http://www.desnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/124 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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom