OPINION:
Two more states joined the American pot parade on Election Day. That’s bad news. The good news, though, is that three other states wisely said, “No, thanks.” As the yearning for marijuana grows across the fruited plains, it is gratifying to see resistance to the high life endure in some places.
Voters in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota chose to march to the beat of their own drum, refusing to allow themselves ownership of even one measly ounce of grass. In light of the widespread stoner stampede, why do they defy the fad?
“There is not one thing that the state of South Dakota could do to double our youth rate of marijuana other than passing this bill,” said Protecting South Dakota Kids leader Jim Kinyon as the explanation for his group’s opposition to the now-defeated ballot initiative.
In contrast, Maryland and Missouri have just elected to follow 19 states, the District of Columbia and two territories that have already made recreational cannabis legal for adults. Weed use for medical purposes is now lawful in 39 states, the District and three territories. Starting July 1, Marylanders can possess 1.5 ounces of marijuana and two flowering pot plants at home. Not to be outdone, residents of the Show Me State are to be allowed possession of 3 ounces of pot and six flowering plants.
For some, it matters that despite the trendy popularity of the psychoactive drug, the National Institutes of Health still describes it as a health risk for the young: “Considerable evidence suggests that students who smoke marijuana have poorer educational outcomes than their nonsmoking peers. For example, a review of 48 relevant studies found marijuana use to be associated with reduced educational attainment (i.e., reduced chances of graduating).”
The nation’s premier medical research agency goes on to describe the consequences of youthful pot use in later years: “Several studies have also linked heavy marijuana use to lower income, greater welfare dependence, unemployment, criminal behavior, and lower life satisfaction.”
The mental health disabilities that accompany the mainstreaming of drug use are on full display as homeless encampments mushroom in major cities, filled with pitiful people unwilling or unable to lead independent and productive lives.
Even more ominous is the rise of mass shooters who have proved to be cannabis abusers, including those responsible for the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida, the 2017 First Baptist Church attack in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School gun assault in Parkland, Florida.
Only adults struggling to collect their own drug-addled thoughts would allow such violence-prone conditions to infiltrate their communities — or those addicted to the dollar. Colorado, for one, has found the proportion of marijuana smokers who report daily or near-daily use has risen from 44% in 2014 to 52% in 2021. Collectively, the expanding pot parade has resulted in an $11.2 billion tax revenue bonanza for participating states, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
Election Day demonstrated that not everyone reckons the reward for going to pot is worth the risk. For some Americans, the chance to live free of the high life is priceless.
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