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CHANGES TO POT LAWS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER

New Administration And Evolving Opinions Will Lead To Marijuana Reform

As cliche as the topic may be, there are serious changes happening in this country when it comes to marijuana and the law. 

Approximately a month ago, U.S.  Attorney General Eric Holder made it clear that the federal government would stop performing raids on legal medical marijuana dispensaries, a sharp reversal of current policy. 

Just a few days ago, this country's first marijuana cafe opened in Portland, Ore. 

The Cannabis Cafe, as it is called, is similar to the coffee shops of Amsterdam that so many people talk about and many American tourists frequent when they visit the city. 

The Cannabis Cafe, which will serve food and pot, will be open to any Oregonian with a medical marijuana card, proof of membership in the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and $25 for a monthly fee. 

The club will not sell marijuana, but "budtenders" will hand it out for free at the bar. 

Members of the cafe will be able to use marijuana within the confines of the building so long as they are out of public view. 

Many experts see The Cannabis Cafe as the first true test of the new policy decision made by Holder. 

According to reports, neither Portland nor federal officials commented on the cafe.  It's hard to know for sure just what their response will be. 

If the federal government keeps their word and doesn't raid and subsequently shut down The Cannabis Cafe, there is a good chance that other coffee shops will open up in other states where medical marijuana and marijuana dispensaries are legal. 

Another important step toward a nationwide reformation of marijuana laws came about on Monday when the American Medical Association changed their stance on marijuana.  Previously, the AMA's stance was that marijuana had no medical value.  That is no longer the case. 

The nation's largest physician group requested there be a review of current marijuana laws and their classification as a Schedule I drug with "no accepted medical use" be looked at and changed. 

The fact that marijuana ever was and still is considered a Schedule 1 controlled substance is an absolute joke and a stain on this country's reputation as a fair and civilized nation. 

Under the current laws, marijuana is in the same category as drugs such as LSD, heroin and ecstasy. 

Whether or not these drugs should be legal is another debate for another time.  What really isn't debatable is that all three of these, along with cocaine, methadone and morphine, which are Schedule II, i.e.  less harmful drugs are all more harmful than marijuana. 

The claims that marijuana is a gateway drug and is also an addictive substance are disingenuous and dangerously false statements. 

Despite the mounds of evidence to the contrary, these two statements are just some of the beliefs that the federal and local governments continues to accept and push to the public. 

But people aren't buying it anymore.  A Gallup poll in October found that 44 percent of the American public was in favor of the legalization of marijuana, an 8 percent increase from just three years ago and a 13 percent increase from nine years ago. 

On average, public support for the legalization of marijuana has grown by around 2 percentage points each year since the year 2000. 

At this rate, in three to four years, a majority of Americans will favor the legalization of marijuana. 

It's important to distinguish the difference between legalization and decriminalization, which has higher support and laws about which are in effect in numerous states across the country. 

Decriminalization would make the possession of up to certain amounts of marijuana less harshly punished, by a small fine, whereas legalization would make the drug completely legal and taxable. 

While it's true that there are important decisions to be made regarding health care, the economy, gay rights and the environment, marijuana law reform is an important issue that should not be pushed aside. 

Now is as good a time as any to fight for the reformation of these unfair and unjust laws. 

With an attorney general who accepts that marijuana has a medical use and a place in society, a large and powerful physicians association that has thrownits support behind a re-examination of marijuana laws and ever-growing public support for the legalization of the drug, it's important to let our voices be heard. 

While serious reforms won't happen overnight, it's certainly possible to push our representatives to make medical marijuana legal in this state ( N.C.  House Bill 1380 ). 

It is an important first step in the battle for the complete legalization or at the very least a decriminalization of the drug. 

Nearly 67 million Americans voted for change in November 2008, and 2.1 million of those votes came from this state. 

Even if this particular movement had half that support, we, as North Carolinians, could enact serious changes to a whole host of issues, including marijuana laws. 

Get out there, voice your opinion and help bring about real change.