What about the kids?―The Last Refuge of Drug War Scoundrels

The famous quote by Samuel Johnson, “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel” seems apropos to the current situation regarding the decriminalization of cannabis. Even those who tacitly favor decriminalization are wringing their hands over what effect this might have on children. The latest salvo in this debate comes from Bill O’Reilly who awarded his “Pinhead of the Year” (now that’s the pot calling the kettle black) award to the voters of Colorado and Washington for legalizing recreational cannabis use for adults. His main point being, “What about the children?” This specious argument is frequently offered by those opposed to decriminalization as they believe it will end the debate because we as a society must protect our children from any and all “evils” they might face in their lives. In other words, we must do all we can to “child-proof” life. As far as I know, no one who is for the decriminalization of cannabis thinks it’s a good idea for children to use it. In both Colorado and Washington the law allows the possession of cannabis only to adults over 21―just as in the case of alcohol. The main thrust of those opposed to cannabis reform is two-fold. One is that by allowing adults to posses and use cannabis it sends a message that such use is socially sanctioned, thus it removes the “illegal” stigma. The second point is that by allowing the legal sale of cannabis it will make it more available to those under 21. As to the first point, we as a society have already determined that there are some things adults may do that children may not. For example, buying and using tobacco products are illegal for people under 18, yet how many tobacco users do you know that counted down the days until they were 18 so they could legally use tobacco? Likewise, how many people wait until they turn 21 to have their first drink of alcohol? Guess what―90% of people who use tobacco started BEFORE they were 18 and over 90% of young people have used alcohol (outside a family setting) BEFORE they were 21! What these statistics demonstrate is that a substance’s legality has little relationship to a person’s desire to use it. In fact studies of high school students show that less than 3% identify “Because it’s illegal” as the main reason they don’t use a substance. Then what is the primary motivation for use or not using tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, or any other substance? It is whether or not such use is supported by one’s peers. Quite simply, if your friends use it, you’re likely to use it. Tobacco use is a great example. Remember back when “everyone” smoked? If not, just watch an episode of Mad Men. In 1965, 42% of adults in the United States used tobacco. By 2011 that percentage dropped to 19%. Why? Not because tobacco was made illegal, but because social attitudes about its use changed. Most tobacco users feel like social outcasts, which is probably the most significant factor in the decrease in tobacco use over the past 50 years. And what brought about this change in social consciousness? Effective education programs about the real dangers of tobacco use that went beyond the “just say no” approach. As to the second point―availability―that horse left the barn long ago. Since the 1990s, over 71% of high school students surveyed report that cannabis is “easy to get.” Other studies have shown that cannabis (and other illegal substances) were easier to get than alcohol for those under 21. So if everyone is so concerned about young people using these substances, why hasn’t there been more of an effort to decrease their availability to this population? Why, for instance, does the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) spend so much of its resources on raiding medical cannabis dispensaries that sell only to adults, and not on high school drug dealers? Perhaps it’s because medical cannabis dispensaries are easy targets, as they are doing business in the open and not secretly in high school restrooms. Also, people under 18 don’t have a lot of assets to seize under our draconian drug forfeiture laws. If we as a society are so concerned about “the kids,” wouldn’t you think this is where the majority of law enforcement’s focus should be? Rather than busting adults who have likely been using cannabis for years, doesn’t it make more sense to try and address the problem when MOST people begin cannabis use? But what about the facts? Is there any hard evidence that there is a correlation between “legal” cannabis use and an increase in use by young people? A preliminary study suggests not. Researchers from the Universities of Montana, Oregon, and Colorado published a report in May 2012 entitled “Medical Marijuana Laws and Teen Marijuana Use” in which they sought to discover what, if any, relation there was between medical cannabis and adolescent use. Their conclusion? “Our results are not consistent with the hypothesis that legalization leads to increased use of marijuana by teenagers.” Now this is a preliminary study, but it would appears to contradict the argument that decriminalization of cannabis use for adults leads to increased use by teens. Actually, there is a counterpoint that decriminalization of cannabis under a regulated system such as is in place for alcohol could actually DECREASE availability to young people. Several studies, including one by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, have demonstrated that―for people under 21―cannabis is easier to obtain than alcohol. Why? Perhaps because alcohol sales are regulated and people who provide it to those under 21 face criminal penalties, which include loss of their liquor license. With such a lucrative potential market, I doubt few proprietors selling legal cannabis would want to kill the goose laying golden eggs by selling to minors. Alcohol and tobacco kill far more people in this country that all illegal drugs combined. Cannabis, when used responsibly, is easily the most benign of common intoxicants. If we are serious about protecting children, then we should outlaw ALL potentially dangerous substances―including alcohol and tobacco. Oh, and we should also outlaw motor vehicles because they are the leading cause of teenage deaths.