Pubdate: Sat, 08 Dec 2012
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2012 The Dallas Morning News, Inc.
Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/send-a-letter/
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author: Angelia Megahan
Note: Angelia Megahan of Arlington is a defense attorney and a 
Community Voices volunteer columnist.
Page: 21A

A FOG OF DENIAL

Marijuana Destroys Lives, Says Angelia Megahan

The progressive folks of Colorado and Washington recently sowed the 
weed issue into the forefront of our collective consciousness. The 
case for the decriminalization of THC certainly grows. Yet I remain a 
holdout, even though the arguments, as put forth in the Dallas 
Morning News, are compelling - albeit nothing new.

Ten years ago, a woman told me that marijuana usage was "no big 
deal." I, a prosecutor at the time, waxed on about how it leads to a 
dead end. She laughed. A melodic guttural laugh complete with a 
beautiful smile dimmed only by pain that lay languishing in her eyes.

Head held high, her young, lithe body floated from the house. Later 
that afternoon she was sighted under a 100-year old pecan tree - 
toking it up, her young daughter playing nearby in the dirt. Last 
week, that daughter, now 21, came for a visit. Actually, she came to 
live with us.

See, like her mom, she started smoking pot at the age of 16, and the 
mellowing effects of the THC removed all desire to do anything but 
"blaze up." When she turned 18, her unemployed but cool mom told her 
she had to pay her way. Never mind she was woefully unprepared for 
the real world. Never mind that her mom had scarcely ever held down a 
job for more than a month. Never mind that at 18 she was two years 
into smoking multiple blunts every day.

We all know life is hard. But imagine that you are 18, barely high 
school-educated, put out into the streets to make your own way, and 
addicted - at least psychologically - to marijuana.

In May, I returned to the mother's home for a graduation. I had not 
seen the daughter in two years. I remember my knees buckling at the 
sight of her - aged far beyond her 21 years. Emaciated. Sickly and worn out.

I gathered myself and hugged her. An hour into thinly veiled 
pleasantries, I asked her to walk me to my car. Once away, I asked 
point blank if she was still smoking pot. She was honest. My worst 
fears were confirmed.

Despite past failures of corny lectures, I dug deep and expounded on 
self-worth and starting over. I stressed the importance of making 
good decisions like not smoking marijuana and not allowing others to 
decide your destiny. Most important, I reminded her, it is never too 
late to begin again.

Her doelike amber eyes filled with tears. She quietly said, "Yes, ma'am."

I was not expecting the phone call, but there was no hesitation on 
our part to open our home and hearts to her. There were a few terms 
of agreement. Obviously no drugs of any kind. No alcohol. No 
hustling. Immediate counseling and medical care. Enrollment in 
college first week of January and every semester thereafter until graduation.

We thought it was a good plan. Having come from the same impoverished 
circumstances, I felt it was a gift. She was quick to agree after 
attempts to negotiate certain terms failed. Even my children were 
excited - a real-life chance to help others. Everything we had been 
striving to teach and model for our children would soon be personified.

 From the beginning, her mother was dead-set against her moving in 
with us. On day five, our newest resident declared that the need to 
smoke marijuana was far greater than the desire to change her life. 
She showed me a recent text message from her mom that supported her 
decision: "Accept it ... smoking weed is in our DNA!!!!!"

I told her that I was living proof that was not true.

She joked that she might move to Colorado.

And like a puff of smoke, she was gone.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom