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| Yes | 27% | 92 votes | Total: 341 votes | |
| No | 73% | 249 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesYes, absolutely, the federal government and the DEA should enforce federal drug laws regarding marijuana, in all states, regardless of what the voters of those states have said to the contrary. Right or wrong, marijuana is classified as a narcotic.
It's safe to say that the mounting evidence regarding the medical application of marijuana, at the very least, deserves unbiased analysis and consideration. Simply to reclassify it as an agricultural crop, and tax it accordingly, would eliminate many of the issues associated with marijuana.
Just as there were originally thirteen colonies, there are currently thirteen states with medical marijuana laws. All of them are in direct violation of federal drug law, but clearly the voters of those states feel that the federal law is, in short, wrong.
The only way federal drug law is going to be changed is by the people, by initiative, by pressure on their elected representatives, or by drawing so much attention to the problem that change is forced to the forefront rather than being nibbled at state by state.
I am a native of northern California, as was my father, and his parents before him. I have spent my life in "the emerald triangle" of marijuana cultivation, although for clarification, I have never participated in the industry. It is the single largest agricultural crop in Mendocino County and has been for years.
So why do I want the DEA to come in and wipe out the local economy? Because it's not just about Mendocino County with it's scattered rural population, or even northern California. It's about Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhone Island, Vermont,Washington and the millions of people who live in those states that have voted to enact medical marijuana laws.
Those people, currently, are placated because they've enacted medical marijuana laws and have developed a working relationship with local and state law enforcement. If the federal government and the DEA begin enforcing federal drug law, those people are no longer going to be placated.
A little revolution now and then is a good thing; the laws of man must be refreshed from time to time with the efforts of the unwashed masses and the infirm.
If the DEA enforced the laws, I believe the laws would change.
If the laws changed, the questionable element would largely be uninterested and eliminated.
Instead of spending millions to enforce existing law, the government could reap millions in tax revenues.
Learn more about this author, Kay Falls.
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No
The DEA should not enforce federal anti-drug laws in states where voters have legalized medical marijuana for the following reasons:
Targeting the Wrong Person
Spending federal money to pursue, prosecute, and penalize terminally ill people is hard to justify. Instead, federal agents should focus on the criminals who are breaking both state and federal laws by smuggling marijuana in from other countries or distributing to under age kids or non-permit holders.
Sending the Wrong Message
Democracy involves voters determining what laws govern their state. If the federal government blatantly disregards the people's choice, it is no longer a democracy. Isn't that what our soldiers are fighting for in Iraq? It is so important to stand for democracy and we need to set a good example here at home before we expect to be taken seriously abroad.
Marijuana is Better Than Legal Drugs
Doctors already prescribe so many legal addictive substances. Vicodin, Percocet, and other anti-depressants are more addictive and painful to stop using than marijuana due to withdrawl symptoms. When terminally ill marijuana users start causing as much pain, destruction, and taxpayer cost as much as other addicts, such as alcoholics, then they should be prosecuted in like fashion. Until then, the DEA has no business with them.
Spending YOUR Money
Last I checked, Medicaid doesn't pay for medical marijuana. However, this taxpayer funded program does pay for the huge amounts of other narcotic prescriptions that are currently legal to treat pain with. If the DEA persecutes the growers of the medical marijuana community they are spending tax money in operations, legal fees, and incarceration costs. They also are adding to the Medicaid deficit by forcing these folks to use prescription drugs that YOU pay for. Let them manage their own pain in their own way with their own funds. Help them help themselves! This what our great country is all about.
Improving Government Spending
The legality of medical marijuana opens the possibility of taxing growers and users on their product and sales. More taxes means more money in our government coffers. This would cover the cost of things that concern the folks on the other side of this debate. Instead of costing taxpayers money, medical marijuana has the potential to be a self sustaining program that helps people. Nice concept, eh?
Marijuana is like any other mind altering substance. It should be used in moderation and it's not for everybody. Kids should NEVER have access to it. Same as alcohol and all those prescription pills in your medicine cabinet. I believe that we should use common sense and teach our own families safety and avoidance. If we do this, perhaps we will give medical marijuana a chance to become as accepted a medicine as the pain killers that are a legal and lucrative product for pharmaceutical companies. Until then, the DEA should not enforce federal laws over state regulations in this matter. Here's to a better future for medicine and democracy in the USA.
Learn more about this author, Cassandra Gilmore.
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