USA Today’s cover story for March 9. 2010 was citing how views regarding marijuana are changing. Going through and reading the article, I saw where, once again, a thought out argument for legalizing marijuana was used. This time, it was about how legalizing marijuana will have the IDs of minors checked just like it is for alcohol and cigarettes. The article quoted a former prosecutor and judge in California stating that drug dealers do not ask about age and it’s true.

Does that mean we should legalize marijuana? Some people think so. Some states are leaning towards that venue. Texas is one of the states not looking at legalizing marijuana, at least not at this time. Texas has always been tougher on different issues, drugs being one of them. Still, sometimes Texas can be a little too tough on some things, as several cases come to the mind of this writer regarding other crimes and penalties entirely. Two high school sweethearts, one in jail because his birthday falls just after the school year plus he failed a grade. So he turns 19 in jail and his girlfriend is now 17 although they are one year apart in high school, a junior and a senior. This story is heard more and more in families and it is a sad case of Catch 22.

Rules are rules, though, right? Shouldn’t that hold true for drugs as well? If we are going to hold young people accountable for other crimes, then we need to hold drug dealers accountable for selling drugs. Should we legalize marijuana just to make it easier to prosecute minors? No. We should follow through with mandated sentences for dealing drugs, not make deals.

People who are addicted to drugs need rehab. Surprisingly to some, drug dealers are not always on drugs themselves. Drug addicts are not always minors. If marijuana is legalized, it will not solve this issue. Kids get older gets in college to buy their alcohol. They get friends who are eighteen to buy their cigarettes. They will get someone to buy the marijuana, too.

The drug dealers will still be selling drugs. Cocaine, heroin, anything illegal. It will still get sold. They will still sell marijuana to kids who are not old enough to buy it.

Yes, the case for legalizing marijuana makes sense. It is well thought out and organized. However, the case for not legalizing it makes sense, too. Who gets to decide if it becomes legal? The government? The people? Are our young people really the ones being thought about or is it another way to make money? Oh and a final question: if marijuana becomes legal, who is going to pay for rehab when our young people get hooked on a legal drug and spend their time high instead of in college or working?   Because making it legal does not make it free of being an addiction.

1 Comment

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