Pubdate: Wed, 20 Apr 2005
Source: Post-Standard, The (NY)
Copyright: 2005, Syracuse Post-Standard
Contact:  http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/686

LEGAL OR ILLEGAL: THAT IS THE QUESTION

Marijuana is illegal, some say, because it is a sinister drug. It
serves as a "stepping stone" to more insidious drug use, preying on
the young and immature. To others, marijuana is simply an indulgence,
similar to alcohol, that is dangerous only when used to an extreme.
Both sides cite scientific evidence to support their claims. Marijuana
use has been traced back to 8,000 BC, and yet the debate continues:
should marijuana be legal?

YES

Dr. Gene Tinelli, 61, is a psychiatrist specializing in addiction and
trauma. He has been an advocate for the legalization of marijuana for
more than 20 years.

So often you hear about the legal arguments for marijuana, but the
real question is why do people use it? What does it do?

Marijuana decreases stress, anger and aggression, including road rage.
It will decrease human suffering, especially in people who have been
traumatized. Marijuana is the fourth most commonly used drug behind
caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. The DEA looked at a study of marijuana
in 1988 and their administrative law judge Francis Young found and
said that marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest,
therapeutically active substances known to man.

Can you imagine what the pharmaceutical companies would do if people
started growing a plant to relieve stress? I don't want to see the
pharmaceutical companies involved in marijuana. I do want to see them
doing research on hemp products that might be useful as a therapeutic
plant.

There's no reason why this should not be a legal and relatively
lightly regulated plant for Americans to use. Set an age, whatever,
but as far as adult usage, it's a no-brainer. If it were legal you'd
see a lot more people using it. Some of that would be artificial
because people are using it that you know, but they would be more open
about it.

Seventy percent of accidents involving younger males involve road
rage. I'd much rather people in gridlock be smoking a joint. It would
be much more pleasant for everybody. There's nothing that marijuana
does that's irreversible.

Would I want to see people going around stoned all the time? No, I
wouldn't. Plus that would get boring. I hold people responsible for
their behavior no matter where their mind is. We need to be depressed
sometimes. Sometimes bad moods are useful. If everybody smokes dope it
would all be the same. I don't want to see people medicating life.

Why are we wasting criminal justice resources on people who are
smoking joints? All the recent studies have shown that you're wasting
your time.

NO

Michael Ferrante, 45, is a senior district attorney in Onondaga
County. He is also supervisor of the narcotics bureau, and reviews
dozens of local marijuana drug cases every week.

I review all of our drug diversion cases and in 98.9 percent of them,
people started out using marijuana and it leads them to a stronger
addiction like crack. It's a gateway drug. I know people say all the
time that it's not. But I look at 50 drug cases a week, and they all
start out with marijuana.  If you start smoking, you're eventually
going to smoke enough that you're addicted, and then you're committing
crimes to support your addiction, and that's where the problems come
in.

If you legalize it you're not going to get rid of the black market
part of it. It's a multi-million dollar business. If you can get a
good grow house, grow it year round and sell it year round, you can
make millions of dollars. There's crime associated with the black
market marijuana trade. Not as much with crack with shootings on the
corners but we have instances where they break into people's houses
they know are marijuana dealers. They want to steal their money and
people get hurt. It's worth money and that's why everybody's into it.

Plus if you legalize it I'm assuming New York state is going to want
to put a tax on it and that's going to raise the price up. That will
force people to the black market. The people charged with UPM
(unlawful possession of marijuana), get dealt with in a 24-period. The
ones that are going to a felony level are the dealers who posses
marijuana in pounds, for dealing. That's where the money is and that's
where we spend our attention. If you prosecute these people, hopefully
you're going to prevent home invasions, which are violent crimes. You
put manpower into it and there's a lot of benefits to the community.

No, it will never be legal. Kids today can't even fathom that illegal
drugs will be legal someday. That education will carry through. And
most of the questions we get at neighborhood watch meetings are about
drug and crack houses. So I don't think any politician would want to
stand up and change the policy.

SIDEBAR from Editor:

Here are three books and Web sites to give you more information about
marijuana. www.drugabuse.gov www.marijuana-info.org
www.drugpolicy.org

"Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to Their History, Chemistry, Use and
Abuse" by Dr. Paul M. Gahlinger "Marijuana Myths Marijuana Facts: A Review
Of The Scientific Evidence" by Lynn Zimmer and John P. Morgan
"Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence" by Mitch
Earleywine

420 Today is April 20, a day when marijuana smokers across the nation
celebrate their drug of choice. Why 4/20? One theory suggests that 420
is a police code for "marijuana smoking in progress." Another concerns
five San Rafael (Calif.) High School students who, in 1971, coined the
term "4:20." They met daily at that hour to share a smoke under the
school's statue of Louis Pasteur. Their original password: "420
Louis." The 420 password spread over the years and became part of the
culture. Today, High Times magazine has its Web site URL as
www.420.com.

What is marijuana? It is: The most commonly used illegal drug in the United
States. The Drug Enforcement Agency estimates Americans smoke 5 million
pounds of marijuana each year. Effects: The main active chemical in
marijuana is THC. Short-term effects include memory and learning problems,
distorted perception and difficulty thinking and solving problems. Trends:
About half of all U.S. teenagers try marijuana before finishing high
school. - Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse
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