California voters will decide on November 2 whether marijuana should be legalized for more than just medical use.
If the November referendum passes, it would legalize, tax and regulate the use of marijuana. Anyone 21 and older would have access to up to an ounce of the drug for personal use. Advocates for its passage believe it could raise $1.4 billion a year for the state of California, in addition to saving law enforcement and prison resources. Supporters of the legalization accumulated 694,248 signatures to get it on the ballot, according to a March 25 Los Angeles Times article.
Fourteen states, including California, have already legalized marijuana for medical treatment for qualified patients. But the possession and distribution of marijuana are still against federal law.
The drug has exhibited proven benefits in the treatment of those suffering with cancer, AIDS and glaucoma. However, there is a growing movement to expand the accessibility of marijuana beyond medicinal use.
Close to 1,000 dispensaries are now selling marijuana for medical purposes in Los Angeles. That number has mushroomed from just a few in 2004, when a state law passed allowing for cooperative medical marijuana facilities. At present, a valid doctor recommendation is now required for access to one of those dispensaries.
The drawbacks of marijuana use are well known. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which says dependence on the drug is especially prevalent in adolescents, can easily lead to dependence and to trying other types of drugs. The DEA also linked marijuana use to traffic accidents and other dangerous behaviors.
A poll from ABC News/Washington Post in 1997 (the year California passed medical marijuana), found that 56 percent of Californians support this move. This percentage is the same today.
A victory in the Golden State has potential to open the door for legalization across the nation. In a March 26 Washington Post article, Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said California is the trendsetter.
He added that this issue will soon be on the ballot in Nevada and Oregon.
New York’s Libertarian candidate for Governor, Kristin Davis, said in the Manhattan Madam that Californian’s have understood what New York needs to understand. In front of a $20 billion budget shortage, California voters have taken the bull by the horns.
Biola junior Philip Myers opposes the use of marijuana beyond medical treatment.
“Marijuana should not be used beyond medical treatment, because our body is a temple belonging to Christ,” Myers said. “As Christians, we should treat marijuana the same way we treat alcohol, only filling ourselves with the Holy Spirit. Marijuana alters the reasoning of people and impairs judgment.”
Perhaps the strongest argument against the legalization comes from Teen Challenge, which provides youth, adults and families with Christian-based solutions to life-controlling drug and alcohol problems. Teen Challenge USA studies show that people who use marijuana are more likely to experience other problems later in life.
According to Teen Challenge USA, adults who were early marijuana users were found to be eight times more likely to have used cocaine, 15 times more likely to have used heroin and five times more likely to develop a need for treatment of abuse or dependence on any drug.
The leader of Biola Teen Challenge, Cameron Foster, has experience with students who are going through this kind of struggle.
“From my experience, the people I’ve met that are involved with drugs say that after they’ve overcome the addictions, it is something they never want to do again,” Foster said.
