Yesterday evening, WBUR's "On Tap" brought together a panel of "experts" to present their positions on the legalization of marijuana: Tom Doe, CEO and founder of Municipal Market Advisors.; Sharon Levy, MD: Dr. Levy, Medical Director for the Adolescent Substance Abuse Program (ASAP), the clinical arm of The Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research, Assistant in Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital; Bill Downing, who served as president of MassCann/NORML from 1991-2004 and remains on the board of directors. The Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition (MassCann), is the state affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (MassCann/NORML or MC/N), a non-profit public education organization working for the moderation of marijuana laws.
Their arguments pro and con ranged from (Dr. Levy's) the fact that the strains of marijuana being grown today are more potent than the marijuana of yesteryear (Is that possible?) and that studies have shown that regular use of marijuana in school age folks lowers their iq (Marash Girl is assuming that the students being tested were not on marijuana when they took the iq tests); (Tom Doe's) the argument that legalizing marijuana would allow taxation of sales and thus bring large revenues into the coffers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which could go for repairing roads, among other uses, (not addressing the increased moneys that would be spent on repairing the mental and physical health of citizens); and Bill Downing's argument that "We must be free to do whatever we want in our own homes, in our own lives. . . I feel a lot safer knowing my kids are smoking marijuana in the woods than knowing that they are making out with their girlfriends or driving cars down the highway!"
Be that as it may, none of the presenters addressed the reality that Marash Girl experienced as a high school guidance counselor: young people came into her office high on marijuana, but never drunk on alcohol. High on marijuana, they could not focus. When school age kids are high on marijuana during the school day, they cannot become productive members of the society if they cannot participate in the learning that is required before that productivity can be achieved.
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| WBUR offered last night's guests brownies, NOT (they promised) laced with marijuana! Photo by Marash Girl |
Hi, excellent description of the evening. I'm the one who early lamented the absence of someone thinking about the "hows" & that the Amsterdam experience doesn't seem to be being tapped as we discuss legalized pot. Do you remember the name of the BUR woman who stepped in for Bob Oakes?
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