Dear Peter, Here's an easy one for you.
Let's discuss a topic that is death to most politicians, let's talk about legalization of drugs. I'll gladly take the affirmative. First, let's agree this is a very serious matter. Most important is the cost in human lives. People's lives are interrupted and destroyed by convictions for drug offenses. Neighborhoods are made desolate by the sale of illegal drugs. In South Minneapolis we've seen Lake and Chicago turned into a wasteland, Franklin Avenue from Chicago Avenue to the freeway laid to ruin, and now Bloomington Avenue from 25th Street to Lake Street has become an all night open air market where drugs and prostitution run rampant. But another important cost that a Commissioner for Hennepin County must consider is the cost to the taxpayers for the prosecution and incarceration of these drug users and dealers. Let us separate our discussion into two parts. First, let's discuss whether or not it is healthy to use drugs like marijuana, heroin or cocaine. Second, let's discuss whether the situation would be better or worse if those drugs were made legal. I had the opportunity on September 24 to attend a Prevention Forum sponsored by the Hennepin County Community Health Department on the topic of Marijuana. It was conducted by Carol Ackley, the Director of River Ridge Treatment Center. I learned that marijuana was fat soluble. That is, unlike speed or downers (amphetamines or barbiturates-cocaine or heroin) which are water soluble and disintegrate in the system quickly and are flushed out, marijuana is absorbed in the fat tissues. The three areas in the body that marijuana seems to concentrate in most effectively are the brain, white blood cells and the reproductive organs. According to Ms Ackley, marijuana is stronger today than it was twenty years ago. It will slow down messages to the brain; it will weaken white blood cells; and it will affect hormone levels, change testosterone and become addictive, though it will be 8 weeks before symptoms would occur. And, according to Ms Ackley, the negative impact on lung tissue is 20 times worse than cigarettes. Most of Ms Ackley's more histrionic conclusions are contradicted by current research. Two studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1977 showed no evidence of damage to the brain in heavy marijuana users. Also, marijuana slightly increases the alpha brain waves associated with creativity. Marijuana is no stronger today than it was thirty years ago according to independent tests. The myth that today's marijuana is stronger comes from a badly done study that used marijuana stored for years in an unventilated police locker. The myth that marijuana suppresses white blood cells is based on a bad study where animals were given near lethal doses of cannabinoids. These results have never been duplicated with human beings. A number of studies, available in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, have proven just the opposite-that marijuana may actually stimulate the immune system. There is no evidence that marijuana negatively affects the reproductive system. That myth was born out of a study similar to the one above and has been judged invalid by the scientific community. All studies indicate marijuana is not addictive, and it is much safer than tobacco. What is generally undervalued is the effect that serotonin has on the overall condition of the body. In most, but not all cases, marijuana produces a chemical similar to serotonin that makes one feel good. It puts a smile on your face and makes you feel good about yourself. This has a positive effect on one's physical, mental and emotional health. Is marijuana good for you? It is certainly no worse than many other things. It will probably do you less harm than a fat soluble large fries at McDonald's. It is much less harmful than alcohol or tobacco. Heroin and cocaine are much more dangerous than marijuana. They are almost as lethal as alcohol and almost as addictive as tobacco. Should marijuana be legalized? The crime and social deterioration associated with drugs is a direct result of the buying and selling of drugs as an illegal substance. Just as Prohibition in the thirties created the Mafia and illegal bootlegging, so the prohibition of marijuana has created gang fiefdoms and turf wars. The War on Drugs has had no effect on the consumption of marijuana. It has only driven up the price and made the sale of it more lucrative and more dangerous. The War on Drugs is what destroyed Lake and Chicago, Franklin Avenue and now threatens Bloomington Avenue. If marijuana were legal, there would be no street traffic. Sale to minors would be restricted, as it is with tobacco and liquor. Legalization of marijuana in Holland has led to virtually no crime associated with it and reduced usage. Yes, marijuana should be legalized. What about other drugs? Marijuana could be sold over the counter in grocery stores, but heroin and cocaine should be available with a doctor's prescription at clinics similar to the methadone clinics that now serve all major metropolitan areas. What would that represent in savings to the taxpayers in Hennepin County? Most of the cases in court are drug related, and the majority of the people in prison are there because of drug laws. Also, the enforcement of the drug laws is obscenely racist. According to most studies, blacks use drugs in the same proportions as whites in our culture, but blacks are disproportionately prosecuted. Unfortunately, Hennepin County cannot legalize marijuana, and it is sworn to uphold State and Federal laws on this subject. However, Hennepin County Commissioners can lobby the Legislature for a change in the law, and they can lobby the Federal government. The laws must be changed on a state-wide basis and, preferably, on a Federal basis. What we have now is a tragedy, but if Hennepin County were to try to legalize drugs by itself, we would have a catastrophe. Hennepin County can begin immediately to stop putting out false information about marijuana. It needs clear and honest public health information about marijuana, cocaine and heroin. The problems associated with drug usage are public health issues. They should be dealt with as public health problems without the baggage of moral condemnation and legal persecution. We've done that with alcoholism. We can do that with drug use and abuse. Ed Felien Powderhorn _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
