Just last week, State Rep. Diane Russell introduced LD 1453, a bill that would legalize marijuana. This bill will undoubtedly stir heated debate among those who feel that marijuana does not belong in the same class as heroin or crack cocaine, and those who would prefer to see it remain illegal.
We believe legalization of marijuana is a federal issue that needs to be dealt with at the federal level.
If this state bill were to pass, Maine would be at odds with the law of the land. For law enforcement, the mixed message could present a quandry. According to Maine State Police spokesman Steve McCausland, a decision on which law police would enforce in Maine would have to be “hammered out in the court system.”
It is for this reason that we cannot support legalization at this time. Americans have a mix of federal and local control. We must address national issues, such as drug policy, at the federal level rather than creating laws that conflict depending on which border you’ve crossed. Those who support legalization should bring this issue before their representatives and senators at the federal level so that regulation of marijuana might be reconsidered nationwide.
We admit, however, the Maine bill is tempting. It would create an entirely new industry of taxable, regulated and safe marijuana for recreational use, feeding an estimated $8.5 million annually in sales tax into the state’s economy. The drug would be sold and distributed at the new medical marijuana facilities throughout the state, which have strong security measures to prevent theft, and only those who are 21 and over could buy the drug.
Having said that, we do note that just as with other drugs ”“ including legal ones like nicotine and alcohol ”“ there’s a downside. Studies show smoking cigarettes can cause cancer and a number of other illnesses. Alcohol abuse carries its own set of problems, from domestic violence to fatal car crashes to any number of physical ailments, but prohibition didn’t change those realities and the measure was repealed in 1933.
Outlawing marijuana hasn’t worked, either.
Marijuana is already widely available, so long as you know somebody who knows somebody ”“ and pretty much everybody does.
It seems to make sense to turn this popular substance into a cash cow for the state, but the legality of it puts up barriers.
Russell may have some good points, but she needs to bring those to a different group of legislators: The ones in Washington.
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Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via e-mail at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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