By Catherine Haig.

AMERICA HAS TWO OF THE MOST LETHAL DRUGS STILL LEGAL ON IT’S SHELVES OF INDUSTRY:

ALCOHOL & TABACCO.

THESE TWO DRUGS KILL PEOPLE EVERY DAY.

THEY BRING DISEASE, ILLNESS AND EVENTUALLY PAINFUL DEATH TO ANYONE WHO PARTAKES IN THE USE OF THESE “LEGAL” DRUGS.

So why do we allow these two harmful substances to exist when so many people die from it; not just in the United States but all over the world?

Because we make money off of them.

We are our own version of drug dealerships.

Our Federal and State and Local governments thrive on the taxes these two drugs provide these agencies.

The same can be said of marijuna.

Why can’t we tax the hell out of this drug and make it legal?

We would be able to close the Federal Deficit and become the leading country of record that allows the sale of POT all over the world. We could grow the pot,  package the pot and distribute the pot all over the world, covered in taxes – more revenue for Americans. Americans would be able to smoke the pot for recreational or medicinal purposes.

If you’ve ever had a problem with dizziness; pot cures it.

If you feel like throwing up, have a hit of pot – you’ll feel better.

Throwing up damages your esophagus and you can develop diseases you never knew existed.

If we legalized POT we would get rid of all the drug dealers. There would be distribution centers all over the country where you can pick your pot up and smoke it in your home. We would also get rid of the Mexican Drug Cartels and the Russian Mob Cartels that make pot an illegal substance and create millions in revenue for these criminals.

I know people who drive under the influence of POT. I can’t do it but I do know people who smoke everyday and are unaffected by what the “fearful people” say it can do. Pot affects everyone differently. For me, I fall asleep and it makes me dizzy but then; I’m not in constant pain from an non treatable illness. I don’t need it to survive but there are a lot of sick Americans who need it to survive.

We should give the people what they want and take away the alcohol and the cigarettes that are rotten for your survival.

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WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE HAS TO SAY ON THE ISSUE:

What We Have to Say About Legalizing Marijuana

By Gil Kerlikowske

When the President took office, he directed all of his policymakers to develop policies based on science and research, not ideology or politics. So our concern about marijuana is based on what the science tells us about the drug’s effects.

According to scientists at the National Institutes of Health– the world’s largest source of drug abuse research – marijuana use is associated with addiction, respiratory disease, and cognitive impairment. We know from an array of treatment admission information and Federal data that marijuana use is a significant source for voluntary drug treatment admissions and visits to emergency rooms. Studies also reveal that marijuana potency has almost tripled over the past 20 years, raising serious concerns about what this means for public health – especially among young people who use the drug because research shows their brains continue to develop well into their 20’s. Simply put, it is not a benign drug.

Like many, we are interested in the potential marijuana may have in providing relief to individuals diagnosed with certain serious illnesses. That is why we ardently support ongoing research into determining what components of the marijuana plant can be used as medicine. To date, however, neither the FDA nor the Institute of Medicine have found smoked marijuana to meet the modern standard for safe or effective medicine for any condition.

As a former police chief, I recognize we are not going to arrest our way out of the problem. We also recognize that legalizing marijuana would not provide the answer to any of the health, social, youth education, criminal justice, and community quality of life challenges associated with drug use.

That is why the President’s National Drug Control Strategy is balanced and comprehensive, emphasizing prevention and treatment while at the same time supporting innovative law enforcement efforts that protect public safety and disrupt the supply of drugs entering our communities. Preventing drug use is the most cost-effective way to reduce drug use and its consequences in America. And, as we’ve seen in our work through community coalitions across the country, this approach works in making communities healthier and safer. We’re also focused on expanding access to drug treatment for addicts. Treatment works. In fact, millions of Americans are in successful recovery for drug and alcoholism today. And through our work with innovative drug courts across the Nation, we are improving our criminal justice system to divert non-violent offenders into treatment.

Our commitment to a balanced approach to drug control is real. This last fiscal year alone, the Federal Government spent over $10 billion on drug education and treatment programs compared to just over $9 billion on drug related law enforcement in the U.S.

Thank you for making your voice heard. I encourage you to take a moment to read about the President’s approach to drug control to learn more.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/what-we-have-say-about-legalizing-marijuana?utm_source=MarijuanaWTP&utm_medium=PetitionLegalizingMarijuana&utm_campaign=OPC

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Resources:

• National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Marijuana Facts (ONDCP)
• Drug Abuse Warning Network (HHS)
• Treatment Episode Data Set (HHS)
• National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS)
• Monitoring the Future Survey, University of Michigan

Gil Kerlikowske is Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy

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