Regulate and Educate: Massachusetts Question 4

Like several other young adults I have spoken to, I’ve tried smoking marijuana before. It was an interesting experience. I wasn’t a fan, and will most likely never do it again. That being said, I acknowledge that marijuana can be helpful to people for medical purposes. There are coworkers and friends of mine who use the drug to treat glaucoma, control seizures they experience as part of their epilepsy, decrease their anxiety, or ease chronic pain they have been living with for years. A “yes” on Massachusetts ballot question 4 allows these friends and coworkers better access to the drug – but marijuana is already legal for medical purposes, so I wasn’t particularly invested in the legalization of recreational use.

However, today I was taught about a new perspective.

When we lump marijuana in the same categories as more irreparably harmful drugs like heroin and cocaine, we pass on the message that these substances are in the same ballpark. In actuality, they’re not even the same sport. While weed does have potential risks, short and long term, it does at least offer medical benefits. Additionally, its risks are reportedly less severe than consequences of heroin and/or cocaine use. Unfortunately by keeping marijuana illegal, we stifle the potential conversations that could lead to education about the drug. As a result, it becomes more likely to be a gateway to “harder” substances.

If we dismiss all drugs with a stern “these are bad, don’t touch them ever”, then when kids experiment with weed it becomes easier for them to assume that all warnings issued were hyperbolic. If they have a positive experience with marijuana, which they were told was horrible, then it isn’t unreasonable to decide that clearly the other drugs they were taught about aren’t nearly as horrible as described. As such they can become quickly addicted to Class 1/Class A drugs.

Alternatively, voting to legalize weed opens a door to new opportunities for education and regulation. The proposed bill on the ballot would allow the government to regulate the substance as it does alcohol: with age limits, operational restrictions, and a tax which would add revenue to local and national communities. Other questions about Question 4 can be found and answered here, but the educational benefits of the legalization of marijuana are a side of the debate which carries definite weight. No one has to personally enjoy weed to realize that a “yes” vote has potential to benefit others. If you can separate personal feelings about marijuana from logical analysis of the proposed legalization, it seems like a helpful proposition to the community.