by Cassandra Gilmore

Created on: November 14, 2008   Last Updated: November 22, 2008

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.

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