Proposition 19 and the Marijuana Debate

It’s no secret that the vast majority of Americans between the ages of twenty and sixty-five have, at the very least, tried marijuana once.  There are also many habitual partakers of weed who assert that, despite cannabis'  illegality and resultant stigma, it does not possess the threat to one’s health that, say, alcohol does, which is perfectly legal and widely available.  No one has ever perished from marijuana poisoning, or a marijuana overdose its defenders will argue.  In fact, there has been a recent surge in evidence that pot has medicinal properties that assist people in relieving the symptoms of such varying diseases as cancer, aids and epilepsy.  These findings about the potential health benefits of pot are partially responsible for the passing of legislation authorizing the distribution and consumption of marijuana for medical purposes in some North American states, including California.  Now, Californians are set to decide if they want to extend the legalization of marijuana beyond health care and into the realm of “personal use” when they vote on Proposition 19, or the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, this coming November.

In his September 29^th, 2010 opinion piece, Reefer Gladness, Timothy Egan presents a persuasive argument in favor of Proposition 19 and the legalization of marijuana in general.  As made evident by his referencing of “The Big Lebowski,” the film which introduced one of the world’s most famous stoners, Egan is writing for an audience of pop culture savvy individuals who are familiar with the movie as well as the cultural milieu surrounding marijuana.  Egan bolsters his pro-legalization-of-marijuana stance by alluding to the fact that pot is already so widespread that making it lawful would not threaten our current societal foundations.  He also compares the restriction of marijuana to the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s, pointing out that, far from decreasing the use of the respective substances, each brought about a substantial increase in violent crime by gangsters and (in the case of marijuana) drug cartels.  Perhaps the most compelling argument that Egan makes, however, is the fact that the most vigorous opponents of Proposition 19 are those, such as medical marijuana dispensaries and alcohol companies, who stand to lose their monopoly of the drug market, and therefore, a lot of money.  Egan answers Governor Schwarzenegger’s comment that the passing of Proposition 19 would “make California a laughing stock” with the zinger:  “He should know. Schwarzenegger runs a state that is bankrupt, broken and ungovernable. God forbid he should let common sense into California.”  Touché.