Pubdate: Tue, 01 May 2012
Source: Oregon Daily Emerald (U of Oregon, OR Edu)
Copyright: 2012 Oregon Daily Emerald
Contact:  http://www.dailyemerald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1518
Author: Jonathan Bowers

WHAT REALLY WOULD BE THE MATTER WITH POT LEGALIZATION?

"To inspire himself, he lit up a marijuana cigarette, excellent
Land-O-Smiles brand" -- and so ends the introduction to one of Philip
K. Dick's main characters in the 1963 Hugo Award winner, The Man in
the High Castle.

What really would be the matter with legalizing bud?

I am not advocating such a position, but I think it is a fascinating
topic to explore -- most especially given ESPN's "revelation" that
some Oregon football players smoke pot.

Just a couple days ago, as I leaned back on the couch waiting for my
food to warm up, I noticed a front page of one of our most popular
pick-up days at the beginning of last term.

The story was about a study published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, covering 20 years of research into the lung
capacity of marijuana users.

Basically, for those having smoked a joint a day for seven years, lung
capacity began to increase: "The study found an unexpected improvement
in lung function among marijuana smokers compared to
nonsmokers."

I had to laugh when I read this. Can you imagine what the reaction
would be if we ran this story side-by-side with our initial,
front-page coverage of ESPN's story on the Ducks?

I play non-American football 4-5 times a week and can tell you that
the game is much more fun being in shape, being able to run around for
an hour and a half, being able to out-endure the opposing team when it
comes down to fitness.

I just smile thinking of our lung-capacity article. I don't smoke, but
I wonder if any of Oregon's blazed-out athletes keep -- or will keep
- -- this in mind.

After all, if the Ducks under football head coach Chip Kelly are able
to pull a 34-6 record all the while having a team composed of 40-60
percent of players who are baked, what is the big deal?

Performance is maintained, wins are maintained. If getting lit was
legal, would Kelly have the same issue with it so long as his team
performed well?

As noted in an earlier Emerald article, Oregon has decriminalized
marijuana possession from a felony to a misdemeanor.

Pot is a part of Eugene culture, even Oregon culture.

When California not long ago pushed to legalize it, a lot of the
opposition came from the small farmers of the crop. Not surprising
really, as legalizing it would deprive them of the wads of cash they
have a monopoly on.

I mean, what would happen if the big tobacco companies -- if marijuana
was legal -- began packaging their own brands for everyday users like
the character noted at the beginning of this column? No doubt, though,
you would have your organic brands available for the purists.

After all, according to marijuana users, the drug doesn't kill --
unlike tobacco, which does.

Is the drug really the problem, the gateway to other, at times, lethal
drugs? Is it a red herring? Or perhaps something in between?
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MAP posted-by: Matt