Republican View: The generational divide of marijuana

You’ve likely heard that marijuana is now legal for recreational use in New York state, but what you may not have heard is the response from many elected officials about that major change in policy.

Most might think I’m against legalization; I am not. However, I do go into legalization with my eyes open about the downside of making marijuana legal and more available.

I believe marijuana should be legal because adults make decisions on how to live every day and should be able to decide whether or not to use marijuana. It hasn’t been shown that marijuana affects decision-making when you’re not high, though it has been shown to have long-lasting effects on brains still developing, basically anyone under 25 years old.

It’s been argued that marijuana is no worse than alcohol. That may be true, though it’s hardly a selling point. Look at some of the terrible effects of alcohol on society. Marijuana will have negative effects as well. That doesn’t mean it should be a crime to use marijuana, but we certainly should recognize this is not a nonserious policy change.

There’s a generational divide when it comes to marijuana. Many of the discussions I’ve had and seen on legalization have officials giggling and joking about the drug. Some elected officials seem to have a vision of someone smoking a joint listening to the Grateful Dead or Tupac. That is not where the younger generation is with marijuana.

The move has been to edibles. THC is one of the chemicals in marijuana that affects the brain. THC users likely won’t be slipping outside to toke on a doobie. They will be sitting at a football game with a THC lollipop or eating a THC gummy bear or baking with THC-infused butter. This is all processed marijuana, much stronger in these new delivery systems from the weed smoked 50 years ago, just as today’s smokable weed is much stronger.

It’s claimed more minors will not use THC just because it’s legal. That was not the experience with alcohol. When alcohol was prohibited, it drove drinking underground, but it also cut down on alcohol consumption. With marijuana being legal and with THC being delivered in edibles, it will attract users in high school and middle school.

That’s not a scare tactic to keep marijuana illegal. It’s just a fact that has to be acknowledged so we as a society can deal with it. Some towns are pushing back, opting out of setting up sales venues.

One argument for legalization is that when it was illegal, users were caught and jailed. I’ve talked with a number of law enforcement agencies, and while possession is a charge, it’s generally only a charge in connection with other charges like intent to distribute.

Yes, dealing drugs including marijuana and THC products will still be a crime. The state, after all, will be licensing dispensaries and perhaps running them. The state will get its money, and if you skirt that law, you’ll be facing more than just an intent to distribute charge.

I’ve been told for years that marijuana is not a “gateway drug.” That may be true for some, but why would that be true for all? Alcohol is certainly a “gateway drug” to other drug use and bad decisions. That doesn’t mean it has to be, but to ignore that it is for some puts a rosy picture on drug use that will lead to destructive behavior for many.

Not to be forgotten is how many folks this actually affects from a legal perspective outside of criminality. If you have a professional license of any kind, like a heavy equipment operator, THC present in your bloodstream will likely cost you that license.

Imagine a doctor allegedly making an error in surgery. Will malpractice insurance turn a blind eye to THC in the doctor’s system, a bus driver involved in an accident or a forklift operator hurting themselves or a coworker? How do they make a claim to insurance with THC in their bloodstream that they were not at fault?

I understand that just having THC in your system doesn’t mean you’re impaired, but try arguing that to an insurance company.
Marijuana legalization has also been pitched as a money-maker for the state. This is the same as casinos. It’s your money to throw away as you like — if it brings you joy, then mission accomplished. But it’s a stretch to market it as a societal good. It’s a vice, one you have a right to pursue, but let’s agree that the government should not be marketing vices for profit.

Marijuana has its benefits in some medical cases. Recreationally, you’re an adult, you make the call, but with the good comes a lot of bad that will have to be reckoned with, and that’s easier to do if we’re honest about it.