Mike NovakHealth 106 Prof BeckMarijuana Legalization

The great state of Stonehead has just decided to legalize marijuana and you have been asked to be the states first Marijuana Commissioner. In this capacity, you have been asked to set up guidelines governing the legality of marijuana use in Stonehead. At your first press conference, you are asked the following questions by reporters. Please respond directly to each question in 3-4 sentences. No political side stepping here!1. At what age will marijuana smoking be legal? Why are you choosing this age?Marijuana will be legal to smoke at the age of 21. Just like alcohol, marijuana is known the cause changes in the brain and brain chemistry. We also know that the brain is not fully developed until adulthood, therefore, to prevent any negative brain changes, marijuana smoking will be limited to those who are 21 or older, and thus have a much more developed brain. Legalizing marijuana for those under the age of 21 would be irresponsible on our part because adverse consequences would be destined to occur. 2. Will marijuana be sold through state stores? Through supermarkets? Throughconvenience stores? Special marijuana distribution centers? Why?Marijuana will be sold through distribution centers, much like how pharmacies dispense prescription medications. It will still be taxed, but selling it though distribution centers will allow citizens whom operate these facilities to partake in the growing industry and thus profit. Marijuana will also be sold through state stores, but not through supermarkets or convenience stores. It would be much easier for robberies of theft of marijuana to occur at supermarkets or convenient stores than highly controlled dispensaries and state stores.3. Penalties regarding alcohol drinking and driving have not eliminated alcohol-related traffic injuries. What do you propose to do to limit marijuana-related traffic fatalities?To limit marijuana-related traffic fatalities, there will be enforcement of driving under the influence of this substance much like alcohol. Roadside tests will be developed to determine if a driver is under the influence of marijuana. If a driver is found to be under the influence of marijuana, they will be cited, given a DUI and forced to attend substance abuse classes so they can become educated and aware of the dangers regarding driving while high. Public advertisements and social media will also employ numerous techniques to make the public aware of the dangers associated with driving under the influence of marijuana, not just alcohol. 4. What penalty do you propose for (explain EACH answer in 3-4 sentences): a second conviction? A second conviction of possession of marijuana under the age of 21 would have to call for more intense punishments. I proposed that second offenders be placed on probation with required random drug testing. This would steer offenders from consuming marijuana while on probation, and perhaps be much more careful regarding its use and possession after the fact. In addition to probation, it should be considered for second offenders to be placed on house arrest for a period of 7 days. This would inhibit the offender from leaving the house, and thus participating in marijuana selling, dealing, buying, or possession. selling to minors? Selling to minors would pose a huge risk to our youth. If one was caught selling marijuana to a minor, they should expect to face severe penalties including the inability to purchase marijuana in a dispensary in the future. Along with this consequence, offenders caught selling to minors should submit themselves to probation with random drug testing as well. marijuana-related traffic violation? Marijuana-related traffic violations will be taken as serious as driving while drunk. Although marijuana may not cause incapacitation like alcohol, attention, memory, and ability to focus on the road and other driver can be impaired by marijuana. Drivers caught under the influence of this drug will be subject to jail time, forced to take classes regarding drugs and their various effects on driving ability, and placed on probation with random drug testing as those above. Their license will also be suspended for a minimum of 3 months.5. Current law forbids the production of moonshine whiskey. Are you going to prohibit the personal growing of marijuana?The personal growth of marijuana will be prohibited to an extent. It will be legal for a given person to grow up to 2 plants of marijuana, granted they have a license from their state government to do so. Requirements will need to be met before personal growth can begin, such as the building of a designated marijuana growing house that must be highly secured. If there were no such requirements or license required for people to personally grow marijuana, then it would surely be grown outside the 2 plant limit. Also, if anyone was allowed to grow marijuana at home without a license, crimes such as burglary may increase in attempt for criminals to obtain marijuana from those growing it personally. 6. A certain amount of revenue (i.e., state taxes on marijuana products) may be realized. What polices or programs would you fund using this income?From the large amount of revenue generated from taxes on marijuana, we will initiate and improve existing programs that aim to inform the general public on the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana and other drugs. Part of this revenue would go towards improving quality control of marijuana and establishing federal agencies that would monitor the strength and purity of marijuana being sold at both state stores and distribution centers. Also, revenue will be put into developing new policies that will work to establish common grounds regarding legal levels or marijuana and the differentiation between patients using marijuana medicinally or recreationally. 7. Assuming marijuana legalization does not result in a tremendous increase in problems, would you favor legalizing other drugs such as cocaine, morphine and LSD?No I would not favor legalizing other drugs such as cocaine and LSD. While marijuana is a natural plant and not extremely potent, cocaine and LSD are both extremely potent drugs with a heavy side effect/risk profile. Marijuana, in comparison to the later drugs, has light effects and its overdose potential is not very high. Drugs such as cocaine and LSD have much lower LD50 levels than marijuana and can be easily overdosed when combined with other drugs. LSD, heroin, ecstasy, and cocaine are much harder drugs, each having only marginal and skeptical medicinal use. Marijuana already has many know medicinal used, while LSD, heroin, ecstasy, and cocaine do not, at least their medicinal use is highly outweighed by the risks associated with these drugs.