In another shocking statement from the schizophrenic Obama administration, Attorney General Eric Holder emphatically stated that it “strongly oppose[s]” a measure called the "Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act," which, if passed, would legalize marijuana in the state of California. Thus, the debate rages on about what to do about this popular, yet still illegal drug.
The most popular Q and A on my website, DrDaleArcher.com, is this one: “My Husband Smokes Marijuana Everyday.” In it is a discussion of a wife’s problems dealing with her spouse’s hourly use of pot. Countless folks have commented, discussing similar issues.
The popularity of this topic leads to several observations: Can marijuana be addictive? Yes. Are there health problems associated with its use? Yes. Can it affect memory and brain function? Yes.
So...should it be legalized? Yes!
Every question about weed would be answered the same if I substituted ‘alcohol’ for marijuana. The bottom line is that both of these drugs are relatively harmless when used in moderation and each can cause huge medical/psychiatric problems when abused.
Wake up, America! Haven’t we learned our lesson with prohibition? From 1920-33, organized crime exploded overnight to take control of the alcohol trade. It’s estimated today that close to $50 billion dollars a year are spent on the ‘war on drugs’ and to what end? The violence along the Mexican border is at an all time high and our prison system is overcrowded with almost 1 in 4 inmates serving time for a single non-violent drug offense. That leaves virtually no money in the system to treat those with a true addiction problem as opposed to the majority of folks that practice occasional recreational use.
The answer is blindingly clear and steeped in common sense. Legalize pot, tax the heck out of it and use the proceeds to fund treatment programs for those that really need help. This will have the added benefit of freeing up law enforcement resources to deal with the pedophiles, rapists and violent repeat offenders that are being released daily from our jails due to overcrowding.
The time to stop the alcohol versus marijuana hypocrisy is now!
Dr. Dale Archer is a psychiatrist and frequent guest on FoxNews.com's "The Strategy Room." For more, visit his Web site: Dr.DaleArcher.com.
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