Is Marijuana a Benign Drug?

The P.C. Police (Politically Correct) have already pronounced that if you are against the legalization of “pot” (a/k/a weed, ganga, grass, Mary Jane, reefer, hash etc.) you are some sort of a right-wing neanderthal, bible-toting, Conservative Republican nut who wants to impose his/her morality on others.  Is that true?

Well, I am opposed to the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, and I am a right-wing Conservative  -  does that make me any less of a normal person who has his head stuck in the sand?  Should we legalize another mind altering drug along with alcohol?  According to the “pot lobby”, the answer is YES, and the sooner the better.

Their argument is that “pot” is not harmful to the body and mind, and people who think differently don't know what they are talking about.

Well, let's look at the effects of “pot” on the body and mind of its users as determined by medical experts, not “pot” junkies.

Here are some of the effects of “pot” as determined by the medical profession.

1. it impairs memory and inability to learn.
2. it creates difficulties in thinking and problem solving.
3. it causes distorted perception.
4. it promotes anxiety attacks and feelings of paranoia.
5. it impairs muscle coordination and judgment.

6. it increases the susceptibility to infection.
7. it causes burning and stinging of the mouth and throat.
8. it causes impairment of driving skills.
9. it increases the heart rate and could cause a jump in blood pressure.
10. It has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because of the various carcinogens present in it.

Taking all the above factors into consideration, how can anyone claim that marijuana is a benign drug?

On the ballot in Florida this past election, was a proposal to make “medical marijuana” available to sick and infirm people to alleviate their pain and nauseousness. Most people think that marijuana use for this is a good idea, if it is handled and dispensed properly. That proposal in Florida  passed by a big margin (71%), but the “pot lobby” will not be satisfied until it is legalized for public consumption for recreational use as well, just like in Colorado and Washington state.  Already, the “unintended consequences” of these laws in both Colorado and Washington State (as well as in Wash. D.C.), are having a detrimental effect on the living conditions in those states.  Increased DUI's, and minors gaining access to “pot” in increasing numbers, have been reported and the trend is that it will get much, much worse.

To the “pothead lobby”, be careful what you wish for, you might regret the consequences that legalization will bring to you, your families, and your communities.  What “pro pot” people never tell you is that most hard core drug users today started out as pot smokers (a gateway drug), and then graduated to the hard drugs to get a more gratifying “high”.

So, in conclusion, the answer to the headline question of this editorial is NO, it is not a benign drug and should not be legalized for recreational use.

Conservative commentary by Chuck Lehmann