Medical Marijuana Ban

Yesterday, the Supreme Court banned all use of marijuana, including medical uses that were legalized by individual states.

Most of this blog has been by me, about me, and for me (well, and my 6 readers). Once in awhile, though, I must speak out either for or against a decision made by my government. This time it is strongly against this Supreme Court Decision.

Where are their heads?? Don't answer that.

If marijuana is banned and made totally illegal, then tobacco should also become illegal. Tobacco has been shown by many studies to cause more disease and death than marijuana has ever done. Tobacco causes cancer. Marijuana helps glaucoma. Ok, yes, that’s sort of short-sighted (get it? “short sighted”—glaucoma??), but I don’t have all day to go into my reasoning here.

So-called second-hand cigarette smoke has been found to also cause cancer and other illnesses, such as emphysema. Second-hand marijuana smoke usually makes people giggle, or at least smirk.

If the politicians, and yes, even the tobacco lobbyists powerful though they may be, would only get their heads out of their derrieres, they could find a huge benefit to these United States. Here are my suggestions:

Legalize marijuana use. Tax it just like tobacco is taxed now—even higher, and I’ll bet people will still buy it and use it.

Now, the idea is not to use the taxes paid for anti-smoking campaigns, which appear to be useless, considering that the rate of smoking among teens has risen in the last few years. Use a portion of the taxes to help tobacco farmers transfer from growing tobacco to growing marijuana. Use another portion to help fight hard and dangerous drugs, cocaine, crack, heroin, the others, and also use the moneys saved by not harassing marijuana users to educate in a productive way (not sure the D.A.R.E. and “Just Say No” campaigns have worked at all in my observations), how the hard drugs can devastate a life and a family.

Another portion of the taxes can be used for medical research into the uses of marijuana to help people with glaucoma and other illnesses, and to develop the perfect recipe for brownies. I had to add that. There would still be tax revenues enough left to help reduce/eliminate the national debt, help re-build other countries, and put some real money into our public schools.

Some of the profits from marijuana sales could be used to help those with cancer due to cigarette smoking. Maybe they could pay for burial fees.

Another thing, make the laws regarding tobacco smoking correlate to marijuana smoking. No smoking in offices or public places; smoking is only allowed in designated locations; no smoking within 15 or 20 feet of building entrances; no smoking in public transportation. No smoking in hospitals, except for areas deemed designated smoking areas, such as glaucoma treatment rooms. It’s only fair; not everyone is in favor of marijuana smoking.

Yes, I realize that some people would take it too far. Smoking right after waking, right after the first cup of coffee, just before leaving for work, immediately after coming home from work, once or twice during the evening, and then again, just before bed. But for those, we could arrange some kind of free “Tokers Anonymous” support group for unhealthy use of marijuana, which, from the exorbitant taxes charged, would be sponsored by our benevolent, and stoned, government officials.”

I also think that if the government officials would lighten up and smoke a little, diplomacy would be much better among other governments. People would be too happy to fight over dirt, or religion.

I might be rambling, and I haven’t read any other blogs about this issue, which were most likely written much more eloquently, but I’ve said my piece now, and will go back to writing about my simple, small, normal life, not worth making news on any of the blog watcher’s “online journals of note” lists.