For the Children

From Horns of Jericho Blog, March 3, 2015

Something is wrong when both proponents and opponents stake their positions in the marijuana debate “for the sake of the children”.  It does not take bloodhound, however, to smell the rat.  Marijuana advocates still peddle the same flimsy logic hoping to escape public scrutiny with populist platitudes.

During the Thursday hearing before the Senate Judiciary and Labor committee both sides argued that it was in the best interests of the children (namely teenagers) to either decriminalize, or not decriminalize, marijuana. Naturally, the testimony of marijuana supporters argue that the bills being considered should decriminalize marijuana for BOTH adults and minors. Additionally, they supported decriminalization bills that would prevent schools from reporting incidents where students were caught possessing less than an ounce of marijuana.

Supporters tried to argue that the current law criminalizes teenagers for the bad choices that they are predisposed to make. They go further to add that simple tasks (like applying for a job or applying for college) could be difficult or impossible, purely based on a bad decision they made as a teenager.  Currently, marijuana possession is a criminal offense.

What they fail to note is that offenses on their juvenile record, stay on their juvenile record, and should not haunt them as adults.. Instances where criminal possession of marijuana will go on an adult record (“tried as an adult”) only happen when there are primary offenses that are much more heinous (armed robbery, murder, rape) than simple possession.

Arguments based on flawed conclusions are not new to marijuana advocates.  The very same groups (such as the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii [1] ) used to argue that “marijuana should be legalized because law enforcement has failed”. If that rationale is true, then it should apply to other criminal offenses. Replace ‘marijuana’ with ‘crystal meth’ (which law enforcement has arguably failed to wipe clean) and the assertions become much less palatable. But changing the statement to “rape should be legalized because law enforcement has failed” demonstrates how ridiculous their arguments are.

Now they want us to believe that decriminalizing marijuana possession for minors will make them safer.  Soon they will want us to believe the “earth is flat”.  Assurances by Will Espero (that the bills were never intended to apply to minors) are empty.  If senators were true to their word –

• minors would have explicitly been excluded from the bill, making possession of marijuana by minors a criminal offense,
• there would be stronger and stiffer penalties for repeat violations,
• there would be mandatory treatment options for first-time and repeat offenders,
• and reporting requirements for schools (for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana) would be untouched – minors, in particular, should not be in possession of any drug paraphernalia.

With such outlandish and idiotic assertions being made, what are the true intentions of advocates? Who benefits from a generation of teenage marijuana addicts?

The easy answer is marijuana users. Since the dawn of time , criminals have wanted their activities legalized. The more common marijuana use is, the easier it will be for them to legalize marijuana and other drugs in the future. This is the process of “normalization” — making a practice seem “normal” and therefore accepted. (This same practice was used by same-sex marriage advocates to railroad SB1 through the special legislative session). There will be more addicted marijuana users to testify at public hearings. They will have lots of time to do so since they probably will not hold full-time jobs or have much meaningful income.

The more sinister answer is “big tobacco”. The business plans of companies like RJ Reynolds and other cigarette manufacturers rely on individuals being chemically dependent on their products. The younger the addict is, the more money they make across the addict’s lifespan.  This holds true for cigarettes, and holds true for companies that would profit off of marijuana.  These “big tobacco” companies are the same ones that insisted for decades that their products were “safe”. They continue to make products (e.g. flavored cigarettes) and continue to advertise to young audiences, hoping to make another dollar off of someone’s chemical dependence.

So where does the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii get all their money to aggressively lobby the Legislature. And for that matter, do the same politicians peddling this snake oil to the public have a conflict of interest created by campaign donations they have received from tobacco companies?

[1] Do not let this name fool you.  The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii is a local group in name only, and is a local front for mainland money from the Drug Policy Alliance.  Additionally, both groups are not about drug policy, but repealing all policies on drugs.

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Clear Boundaries

From Horns of Jericho, March 4, 2015

With the wealth of misinformation being peddled by marijuana advocates, recent studies highlight the vulnerability of teenagers to drug use. While the science is clear, marijuana advocates continue on their unholy crusade to legalize their own criminal behavior.

A recent study highlighted by NPR (National Public Radio) delves into the reasons why teenagers are prone to making bad decisions. There is a concrete biological explanation that has to do with adolescent brain development. While other parts of the human body may be fully developed by the end of puberty, certain parts of the brain still require additional years to reach full development. This includes the parts of the brain responsible for decision-making – the part that is responsible for deciding whether or not to use marijuana.

While advocates would argue that marijuana should be decriminalized for this very reason, a look at the big picture would show why current laws on marijuana possession are important to keeping teenagers safe.

Parents rely on strict directions when raising children to teach them to make good choices. “DO NOT take drugs.” “DO your homework.” Even secular sex education programs hone their messages knowing the impulsiveness of teenagers and their propensity toward poor decision-making. In sex education, the emphasis is on abstinence first – not use of condom. The supporting knowledge regarding pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) reinforce the clear message – abstinence.

If we were to use the same logic of marijuana advocates, our sex education programs would sound more like “DO NOT get pregnant” rather than “DO NOT have sex.” This is why the zero tolerance policy of the current law is so important. The law reinforces what parents are teaching their families – and makes a clear line in the sand that minors should never cross. Because adolescents are prone to impulsiveness and are prone to make poor decisions, the clear line between good and bad behavior is important.

Furthermore, studies cited by Smart Approaches to Marijuana note that marijuana use impairs development of the very same parts of the brain that are responsible for decision-making. This ups the ante in the war against marijuana. Imagine a marijuana user who started regular marijuana use at age fifteen. In their mid-twenties, when their brain development is supposed to be complete, the same user would still make the same poor decisions that teenagers do. This would not improve when the same user is thirty or forty since brain development has already stopped.

Do not fall for the arguments that marijuana advocates are using. While the position of this blog is to oppose any legalization/decriminalization of marijuana, the threats it presents to the most vulnerable members of our society make the current bill (SB879) even more dangerous. Under no circumstances should minors be in possession of (let alone using) marijuana. It is not okay for them to possess alcohol. It is not okay for them to possess cigarettes. Why would the Legislature make any exception for marijuana?

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