A Public Discussion Regarding Legalizing Recreational Marijuana Must Take Place
By HARRY HURLEY
Political Columnist
Incoming New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy has long promised that the recreational use of marijuana would be legalized if he became Governor.
Please do not confuse this with the philosophy of decriminalization of marijuana. Many support this for those who have had their lives and careers disrupted by the possession of a small amount. Anything below the limit of distribution levels should not ruin a person’s present or future. Either a proper diversion program or creating a law that would not prosecute these petty offenses, is something that could easily be enacted.
However, the no-holds barred, recreational sanctioning has already delivered negative results in other parts of the country.
This is a very important discussion that should begin immediately. It’s always tempting to implement a program that will generate hundreds of millions of dollars per year. However, we must grapple with the important question: At what cost?
In almost all instances, past is prologue. An examination of the current states that have legalized the recreational use of marijuana shows the significant impact they have faced through the various laws of unintended consequences.
I stipulate that it would never be anyone’s intention to implement a program that would:
Lead to increased crime.
Loss of productivity in society.
Increase college drop-out rate.
Gateway to using more hardened drugs.
Yet, this is exactly what has happened. Just to name a few.
Exactly what is marijuana? By definition; it is also known as cannabis. It’s made from the dried leaves and flower of the hemp plant. It used to be grown in tropical climates, but now it can be effectively cultivated by advances in indoor growing technologies. The main active ingredient is delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol, known as THC.
As of 2016, there are eight states and the District of Columbia in America that have legalized the recreational use of marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Washington, D.C.
The leading market regarding recreational marijuana sales is Washington state. They forecast $2.3 billion in sales by 2020.
Marijuana is usually smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes. Edible, other solids and liquid alternatives, are growing in popularity.
The minimum age for recreational consumption is 21 in all legalized states. However, statistics have shown that almost 40 percent of high school age students have used marijuana one or more times during their lifetime. The statistics are nearly identical for male and female underage users.
Even with the very supportive liberal media that champions this cause; they admit that teens who use marijuana are more likely to become dependent on the drug later in life, and may be at a higher risk of additional physical and mental health problems as a direct result of their marijuana use.
This is an indictment that should not be ignored. The liberals are also touting that marijuana arrests are way down in Colorado and Washington states. Of course they are. These states legalized something that had previously been criminal. It’s one of the dumbest rationales you’ll ever hear. If you stop eating pizza today, you will have achieved a perfect 100 percent track record of not eating pizza anymore.
The American police arrest more people for marijuana use versus all violent crimes combined. By decriminalizing the low-level offenders, the states will each save hundreds of millions of dollars every year.
I suggest that this is the approach that should be vigorously pursued. It will help people by not saddling them with a criminal record that could cost them their job or various certifications. Yet, it would stop well short of recreational legalization.
It would be a middle ground compromise that may not please most people, but, it would be the most compassionate and potentially effective way to resolve this issue.
Revenues generated thus far in the legalized states has been used for school construction, enforcement programs and other general-purpose needs.
The rate of emergency room visits for those using marijuana has notably increased, both from state residents and visiting users.
Just five years ago, marijuana wasn’t legal anywhere in America.
Sales of legal marijuana have grown to $6.6 billion for the latest full year (2016). The breakdown is $4.7 billion for medical and $1.9 billion for recreational.
The industry projects that it will exceed $24 billion by 2025. The state of Vermont almost legalized recreational use, however, Governor Phil Scott vetoed it this past May 24, 2017.
A significant majority 29 states (including New Jersey) have approved legalized marijuana. You can add to that: Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam.
It is also important to note that even with legalized recreational marijuana, the black market continues to thrive. That’s because illegal weed is “tax-free.” Colorado taxes it at a rate of 28 percent and Washington state at 37 percent. Medical marijuana is taxed at a lower rate.
Because this recreational accommodation still runs afoul with federal law, banking has proven to be very challenging. Banks are federally regulated. They want nothing to do with these recreational dispensaries. Many are forced to deal in cash only.
You also can’t take your recreational marijuana across state lines, even when two legal states share a common border. This is also illegal by existing federal laws.
Before the New Jersey Legislature and Governor Murphy move to legalize recreational marijuana in 2018, they should take a good, hard look at what kind of state they want us to be. They must carefully examine how recreational marijuana will change our state in so many profound ways.
Marijuana should not be classified the same as class 1 DEA narcotics such as heroin, LSD, GHB, Mescaline or Ecstasy. Yet, it is my strong view that we don’t want to become a “stoner state,” either. The loss of productivity and the potential gateway to the increased use of serious DEA class 1 narcotics is the inevitable, undesirable result.
The more appropriate path would be to responsibly craft a decriminalization bill that would check-off almost every “box” without altering the fabric and fiber of our great state.
Harry Hurley is the president of Harry Hurley Consulting and Communications, LLC. He hosts the daily talk radio program “Hurley in the Morning” 6-10 a.m., weekdays on Townsquare Media, WPG Talk Radio 104.1 FM & 1450 AM, where he also serves as the senior programming consultant. Harry was elected to both the Philadelphia (2014) and New Jersey (2015) Radio Broadcasting Hall of Fame. He has hosted various programs for local television and is the editor and publisher of his news and information website, www.harryhurley.com. Send comments to HarryHurley@aol.com
One Response
Recreational use should be decriminalized similar to alcohol. Should it be completely legal? Perhaps. There needs to be some controls and responsibilities. You would not want your child’s school bus driver to have a toke or a glass of vodka before starting the bus. We have a control for alcohol but not for marijuana. Both inhibit thinking and action/reactions and use poses a danger. Few people would object to someone having a toke or some beers while at home watching TV. Somewhere between the extremes should the law meet? The scientific and law communities could pave the way. Don’t confuse medical use of marijuana with recreational use. They are 2 completely different entities, but could be investigated. One large problem is the economic issue and as pointed out in the above article. The impetus should not be finding ways to tax the product as done with alcohol, tobacco and sadly now sugary drinks in Philadelphia which demonstrates my point perfectly. It should be to provide a safe decriminalized ease of purchase responsible use. More discussion is needed