Pubdate: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK) Copyright: 2014 Fairbanks Publishing Company, Inc. Contact: http://newsminer.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/764 Author: Roger L. Schwietz Note: Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz, OMI, oversees the Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage and is the Apostolic Administer for the Diocese of Fairbanks. MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION WOULD BE IMMORAL Each of us living in this great state knows Alaska offers many things to all residents. We are surrounded by amazing beauty that nearly a million people pay to experience each summer. We each receive an annual dividend from the natural resources developed in the oil fields and we are blessed with neighbors and friends who look out for one another. In Alaska, an ordinary citizen or group of citizens has the ability to decide an issue is so important that every registered voter in the state has the right to express an opinion on the topic. This November's general election ballot includes several such issues. Our Catholic Church teaching requires us to vote with an informed conscience on issues that will affect the greater good. These are my thoughts for consideration on Ballot Measure 2. Ballot Measure 2 seeks to legalize, commercialize, advertise and industrialize marijuana and concentrated marijuana products in Alaska. If passed, marijuana production, sale and use would be taxed and regulated. Marijuana would be legalized in all forms for those older than 21. During the course my years of ministry, I have witnessed the tragic consequences that come from use of addictive substances, both alcohol and drug related. From a moral perspective, I cannot support this initiative. The debate in favor of legalization has largely been framed in the language of personal freedom. I judge this to be an inadequate analysis of both the morality and the advisability of adopting this measure. Our personal freedom always exists in the context of the communities to which we belong. Personal freedom that is not balanced by sensible regulation for the common good destroys the communities that are the guarantors of our personal freedom. Many claim marijuana is safer than smoking or drinking. Neither is healthy. For many people, the primary objective in using marijuana is to "get high." Alaska law allows for the cultivation of fewer than 25 plants of marijuana for personal use in a private home. Any amount less than 4 ounces in a private home is allowable under the right to privacy of the Alaska constitution. Since possession and use of marijuana under these limits is permissible, is there a need to make marijuana more widely available? As a state, do we need to provide access to products such as Mountain High Suckers, which look like a child's lollipop, Krondike Ice Cream bars, which have a similar logo as a Klondike Bar, or cookie and brownie products, or soda that looks similar to other beverages on the market? Studies have proven marijuana use can compromise judgment which can lead to engaging in risky behaviors with negative consequences. It can seriously affect a person's sense of time and coordination. Its use is not simply a case of private behavior, as the cost of use can affect society as a whole. If it becomes a legal substance, how do we ensure the safety of our roads or even our sky if people begin driving or flying under the influence of this now-legal product? Substance abuse of all kinds has been the source of untold human suffering and pain. Most every person in Alaska knows someone whose life has been devastated by substance abuse. Substance abuse is associated with domestic violence and suicide - statistics Alaska leads the nation in. Each of us has the obligation to reflect on all of the issues this initiative raises. We believe, as Catholics, that we have a responsibility to one another and to the wider community. It is insufficient to simply avoid what is wrong for ourselves. We need to work for the common good. I believe there would be significant risks to the physical and spiritual health of our state were this measure to pass. A secondary issue of concern is the measure also removes "local control" in the case of marijuana. Alaska law allows communities to control alcohol by becoming a "dry", "damp" or "wet" village. If passed, communities would not have the same ability related to marijuana. Marijuana and marijuana products would be legal everywhere in the state. Elders and community leaders in our villages have repeatedly expressed their belief that the presence of legal marijuana would add to the challenges they face in their communities. I urge everyone to vote in the November. Before the election, I ask that you reflect on what is at stake, become informed and vote your convictions. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom