On Monday night's NBC Jay Leno Show, Doctor Phil McGraw showed up to talk with the host about current events. [video link, time index 23:44] Inexplicably popular TV psychologist Dr. Phil quite rightly pointed out that the family of the "Balloon Boy" certainly looks pretty dysfunctional, but then Jay asked Dr. Phil his view of legalization of medical marijuana. Dr. Phil said that he is opposed, because of the risk of abuse — citing as evidence the high levels of abuse of OxyContin® in Florida, where he said it is relatively easy to get a prescription because of relaxed local requirements.
There's just one thing, though: OxyContin® is an extremely addictive opiate drug and marijuana has a very low addictive potential. It's an exaggeration to say that marijuana is completely non-addictive, but it is clearly less addictive than alcohol or tobacco, not to mention OxyContin®. Not only is there no rational reason not to permit medical use of marijuana, there is simply no rational reason not to permit recreational use.
First, medical use. Marijuana has an established track record of treating certain specific medical conditions, not least nausea related to chemotherapy or other unpleasant treatments. After all, if it gives Joe Sixbong the munchies, it can probably help a cancer patient keep down a half a sandwich. Now, sure, some of the "medical reasons" that people get pot cards for are at least a serious stretch if not a weed-induced hallucination: Dr. Phil mentioned "a friend" who claimed as his medical condition, "I get really bummed when I'm out of weed." But still, marijuana clearly does have widely accepted legitimate medical use. As to the risks of using it, I'll come to that shortly.
Now let's look at recreational use. Our society permits, with certain restrictions largely for the protection of non-users from the ill effects of someone else's good time, alcohol and tobacco for recreational use by grown-ups who can make their own decision what to put in their bodies. The thing is, those ill effects on non-users are far more severe from alcohol and tobacco than from marijuana. A 2006 study showed no correlation between marijuana use — even heavy regular use — and lung cancer. Even if that study is an outlier, marijuana is clearly less dangerous in that regard than tobacco, and that's before you factor in addictiveness.
"Well, okay," you may be saying, "but I don't want to take smoke into my body, so I'll just drink a good old beer or maybe a cocktail." I feel pretty confident in saying that alcohol is not a major risk factor in lung cancer, even without a specific study to cite. Of course, alcohol does pose serious risks to your liver, pancreas, and pink elephant collection. While marijuana tends to suppress nausea (and wreak havoc on a diet), alcohol all too often leads to quality time slumped over a toilet. Where marijuana tends to turn people into inert lumps on the sofa in a friend's basement, alcohol lowers inhibitions against violence. And of course, if the smoke bothers you, you can always try the brownies instead.
I've been to Burning Man several times, which has given me the opportunity to see in action a variety of drugs. I've wandered the Playa — sometimes even (gasp!) cone sold stober, I mean, neurochemically unaltered. For the first few times I went, the police presence was mostly local sheriffs' deputies, with an emphasis more on preserving public safety than on prosecuting any but the worst offenders. That's not to say that they condoned illegal drug use; if you walked right up to a cop and blew smoke from your joint right in his or her face, you could still expect to be arrested. However, a few years ago, the Nevada State Police showed up, complete with drug-sniffing dogs to patrol the camping areas. The crackdown had the intended effect: the use of illegal drugs (well, at least illegal drugs that dogs can smell from 50 feet) declined significantly. But Burning Man is a festival and a party as well as a living art exhibit, so the slack was inevitably taken up by alcohol. Free mojitos! Come grab a can of really cheap beer we got at the Reno Wal-Mart! Come try our home-brew moonshine that we think probably won't kill you!
The trouble is, drunk Burners are a much more obnoxious bunch than stoned Burners. Stoned Burners will sit and watch the pretty light sculptures or groove on the ambient music or giggle while flapping their wings. Drunk Burners talk louder, get into arguments, get into fights, stumble, forget to drink water, puke in the porta-potties (turning your pitstop into a prayer to the pagan goddess of tolerable restrooms), throw beer bottles into the porta-potties (making it impossible to refresh them), and maybe even get behind the wheel of a lime green furry sofa and run over someone's tent. The only thing I hate more than a drunk Burner is a tweaking Burner.
Back in the city, again I see lots of problems from drunks and tweakers, but far fewer problems from stoners. I see far more people carrying around oxygen tanks from a two-pack-a-day cigarette "habit" than dying from too many bong hits. The ill effects on society of the use of marijuana clearly pale in comparison to alcohol or tobacco.
The potential tax revenue from legalizing marijuana is significant, but it's also only the beginning of the benefit to society. We can stop spending taxpayer dollars on rounding up pot farmers and focus on drugs that pose a far greater threat — and yes, Miss Tina Crystal Methy-mess, I'm talking about you. We can with the stroke of a pen lop off 60% of the income stream of the drug gangs on our southern border, and have more agents and more dollars available to go after the other 40%. A little boost in the unemployment rate for the Mexican Mafia would be a nice side effect, too. I saw a story on the news today about a family growing marijuana to pay their kid's way through college. That should be hailed as a small-business success in revitalizing our economy, not prosecuted as a felony.
"Oh, but I've got kids and I just don't want to give them the wrong message." What message do we give our kids when we outlaw a drug that the majority of us have tried without ill effects, while condoning two highly addictive drugs that have ruined millions of lives? "Yes, but what about these drugs getting into schools??" For high school students today, it is easier to get marijuana than to get alcohol. In fact, in many places it's easier to get crystal meth than alcohol. A liquor store has a vested interest in staying on the right side of the law; a drug dealer is already one step over the line, so why not go one more step?
We should not tell our kids that it's perfectly fine for them to use marijuana, but we should be honest with them about the risks. Kids who smoke pot tend to lose motivation, which can lead to bad grades, which can lead to a lifetime of menial jobs — "Do you want fries with that?" if you're lucky. It can also lead to lost friendships. Heavy use can make you into a couch potato with absolutely no life. Smoking pot can lower your sperm count (well, if you're male, at least) — although that doesn't mean you can't get her pregnant — and lower testosterone levels. The mixed-up hormones can couple with the munchies to produce severe manboobs. Marijuana can sometimes make you paranoid; it's not always a happy tra-la-la across Smileyland. It's a bad idea to drive while stoned, although, to be quite blunt, it's a much worse idea to drive while drunk. Marijuana messes with your perceptions and your judgment; alcohol does both plus it messes up your physical coordination. Either way, pick a designated driver or take the bus. While marijuana is not addictive for the great majority of people, it can still be habit-forming. If you start reflexively reaching for your lighter whenever you watch TV or listen to music, or especially if you spend more of your waking hours stoned than on earth, you need to quit for a while. And of course the most important message we're giving our kids today is, "Using marijuana is far less dangerous than getting caught using marijuana."
So, yeah, Dr. Phil, if it really is as easy as you say to get OxyContin® in Florida, that's a serious problem for society. But to say marijuana in the same breath is far enough out there that I have to ask: What are you smoking, dude??
LINKS:
Nat'l Org. to Reform Marijuana Laws
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
California bill legalizing recreational use (Tom Ammiano, AB 390)
Jay Leno Show (Dr. Phil clip, time index 23:44)
YouTube™ video of Penn & Teller on legalization