Marijuana.com

Suetaz

Man leads Utah effort to make marijuana legal

By PATRICE ST. GERMAIN | The Spectrum | June 30, 2004

LAVERKIN -- Back in January, LaVerkin resident Ken Scarbrough started the Utah chapter of the U.S. Marijuana Party. The organization has chapters in 28 states and has the goal of removing all penalties for adults 21 and older who choose to consume cannabis in a responsible manner.

Scarbrough believes that by legalizing marijuana and having government control over the growth and distribution, it will make the drug harder for minors to obtain by taking it off the street. He also believes that once legalized, those selling marijuana to minors should face stiff penalties along with those who grow large quantities of marijuana.

If controlled by the government, Scarbrough said, taxes charged on the drug would help pay for needed programs and education.

"The tax money raised could be used for new schools and furnishings and other items to help childrens' education," he said. "Every day, you hear of important programs, music, sports and arts closing due to the lack of funding. The revenue brought in by legalization could solve most of these problems."

But while Scarbrough argues that the United States is losing its war on drugs, which is one reason to legalize marijuana, Steve Urquhart, R-Dist. 75, begs to differ.

"I don't think we are failing on the war on drugs," he said. "I think it should remain illegal."

Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith said using marijuana is opening the door to other problems and that marijuana is a gateway drug.

"It's pretty well documented that everybody who does marijuana does not progress onto hard drugs, but people who have become addicted to meth and cocaine, without many exceptions, have started with marijuana," Smith said.

Right now, the No. 1 drug problem in the country is alcohol, Smith said. But unlike marijuana, alcohol is only in a person's system for a brief time where as THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, is proven to stay in the system for days. Its effects create the potential for impaired performance at work and behind the wheel, Smith said.

"There is no way, no how, I would ever endorse legalization," Smith said. "Look at other countries where there are legalized drugs. It's not going well there. It's just asking for trouble and putting ourselves in a real bad spot."

Scarbrough said the FBI statistics show 698,000 cannabis related arrests last year and 89 percent of those arrests were for simple possession - not sale or cultivation.

New drug policies have especially affected women. Statistics, Scarbrough said, show that one in three women in prison are serving sentences for drug-related crimes.

Once released from prison, Scarbrough said those in jail for drug-related issues are denied financial aid and have difficulty obtaining employment.

"Why are non-violent marijuana growers sent to jail for life while murders and rapists are still eligible for benefits?" Scarbrough said. "Families are split up when parents are charged all because of a parent's association with a plant."

Scarbrough also said the drug has medicinal purposes which help to alleviate pain and suffering in the seriously ill and help chemotherapy patients overcome nausea and vomiting. He also said marijuana is the only anti-convalescent that works for epilepsy.

Smith said he isn't sure that there aren't already the medicines in existence that have the same effects on illnesses that marijuana does.

Urquhart said the medicinal use of marijuana is pretty far outside the range of medical practices.

Although Scarbrough said the risk is low for marijuana use and that it is the common drug of choice for millions of mainstream Americans, who are otherwise law abiding individuals, he said alcohol and tobacco, which are both legal, have serious consequences.

"I have buried several friends that drank themselves to death," Scarbrough said.

Smith said the number one drug problem in America is alcohol but unlike the prohibition of alcohol, Urquhart doesn't think marijuana would have the same supporters for lifting prohibition.

"You can make the exact same arguments for alcohol and efforts to make it illegal didn't work, but I don't think the war on drugs is failing like prohibition failed," Urquhart said. "There was more mainstream acceptance of alcohol prohibition and I don't think marijuana is part of mainstream culture in Utah."

Scarbrough said it is time for the cannabis community to take a stand and let the government know that they will no longer sit back and watch them steal their homes and children because they chose to ingest something that is far less harmful to the user than alcohol or tobacco.

"I don't believe the government has the right to tell me what I can and cannot do with my own body," Scarbrough said. "Far more harm is caused by marijuana prohibition than by its use."

For more information, visit the Web site at http://utah.usmjparty.com

[Suetaznote: This article tells me that there is much work to be done yet. There are still far too many people, especially in law enforcement and government, that don't know the truth about marijuana and how harmless and beneficial it really is.]

__________________

 

Cassius

It's pretty well documented that everybody who drinks does not progress onto becoming an alcoholic, but people who have become addicted to alcohol, without many exceptions, have started with a single drink. OUTLAW ALCOHOL!

It's pretty well documented that everybody who uses the Internet does not progress onto becoming a spammer, but people who have made fortunes from spamming, without many exceptions, have started with a simple dial-up connection. OUTLAW THE INTERNET!

It's pretty well documented that everybody who masturbates does not progress onto becoming a racist, molester, or other sexual offender, but people who do such things, without many exceptions, have started with masturbation. OUTLAW MASTURBATION!

Need I go on? That's a completely ridiculous argument.

I have, fairly extensively -- have you? Obviously not because you don't know what the hell you're talking about.

It's not fair!!! Every slightest little thing that we want to say in support of our cause, we have to provide solid documentation for, research studies, data collected over decades. And they get by with saying outright lies that nobody bothers to question. Sometimes I wish I was on their side, they have such an easier battle to fight. All the anti-prohibitionists could slog away at the issue all day long, and at the end of the day I can just make something up that is probably the exact opposite of what is really true, not support my statement at all, and everyone will take me just as seriously as the mountain of data that says I'm wrong, just because I'm on the incumbent side of the argument.

Oh, that's brilliant. Do the citizens of Washington, DC know that their congressman takes stances based on his own personal opinion, without expressing any REASON for it at all, rather than actual facts, numbers, research, or even the opinion of his constituents?

Dennis

Sure, we can sit around and debate the issues to death, but does this really get us anywhere? So it may be a gateway drug, so it may impair driving, so kids will see it as no big deal, so it may have health consequences, so what!

I'll admit that the state and municipal initiatives are significant, but wholly ineffective against the big budget, manpower, and incessant legislate initiatives of the federal government.

Please understand: The only way to stop the war on marijuana is to lobby the representatives in the US Congress to change the laws. This bears repeating: The only way to stop the war on marijuana is to lobby the representatives in the US Congress to change the laws!

Failing that endeavor, we must move with determination to support, donate to, and campaign for candidates who will change the law, and subsequently de-elect the representatives who are intent on keeping marijuana illegal forever (Souder, Istook, etc...).

We have an opportunity to make a difference now with the election coming up in November. This is the only choice we have, if we are truly intent on making the situation change, it's time to get busy.


Dennis

POTJUNKY420

I think marijuana should be legal, just for the sould perpose that it would be a major cash crop for the United States. I think that once you are of the age as a legal adult u should be able to purchose marijuana as you would cigarettes. I dont think that you should have to be 21 years of age to do so. I'm not of the age yet but i hope that in the future when i go into the stores to purchose a pack of cigarettes that i should be able to purchose a sack of marijuana.
If the goverment only knew how much money they would make by legalising marijuana, i think they would have tried to make it legal alot earlier. Now there trying to fight a war against drugs that there never going to win. Half of the population smokes bud and through the years more and more people start. And i also think that if they ever do make it legal then they shouldnt make it illegal to sell it on the streets, because that is some of the only ways some people have to provide for themselves and there family. I think personally that it should be a crime to not legalise the crop. Well that is all i have to say about the legalisation of marijuana.
i would be able to tell u all more but unfortionately i smoked before i wrote this and i forgot wht all i was going to say.. !*!SORRY!*!