16
May 27, 2014
commentary
T
he Valley Catholic
MORAL THEOLOGY
Is America going to pot?
By Father Gerald D. Coleman, SS
Part I -- In 2010, the
California Cannabis
Initiative qualified for
the state ballot (defeated by 53.5% of voters). If passed,
it would have decriminalized certain
marijuana offenses and permitted personal consumption and cultivation. The
debate about this ballot was contentious.
This provoked me to learn more about
cannabis. This article updates my 2010
research.
Cannabis sativa is commonly known
by its Mexican colloquial name, marijuana, but goes by many names, e.g.,
grass, reefer, pot, dope, weed, bud,
Mary Jane, hippie lettuce. There are at
least 85 diverse chemical compounds
(cannabinoids) in marijuana. THC
(tetrahydrocannabinol) is the primary
psychoactive compound that stimulates the brain to release dopamine,
creating euphoria, while often inducing hallucinations and delusions. CBD
(cannabidiol) is the major constituent
primarily responsible for alleviating
certain medical problems. Marijuana
dispensaries make their money on high
THC and low CBD products.
Age and not religion is the strongest
predictor in attitudes about the legalization and morality of medical and
recreational marijuana. Young adults
(18-29) are more than twice as likely as
seniors (65 and older) to support legalization, while seniors tend to believe
that marijuana use is a sign of America’s
moral decline.
Fifty-eight percent of Americans support legalization of medical marijuana
according to the findings of the CNN/
ORC International survey released in
January. This percentage is the highest
ever recorded by the survey, and marks
a 12% jump in support since 2012. A
recent survey in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates its support for
medical marijuana.
Commentators describe this growing support as “a tectonic generational
shift” and “a major milestone,” comparing the legalization of marijuana to
same-sex marriage. Both have moved
from outlier issues just a decade ago to
‘Pot smoking cuts across racial,
class, and gender lines.’
mainstream issues today.
Even though the federal government
classifies marijuana as a Schedule I
controlled substance, along with heroin,
ecstasy and LSD, implying that it has a
high potential for abuse, about 20 states
allow the use of medical marijuana.
In 2013, voters in Colorado and
Washington State decided to become
the first in the nation to legalize and
regulate small amounts of marijuana for
recreational use. The U.S. Justice Department will not challenge the legality of
these referendums provided that these
states maintain strict rules regarding
the drug’s sale and distribution, and
keep it away from children, drug cartels,
federal property, and out of other states.
Colorado is projected to take in $67
million in marijuana taxes in 2014, the
first $40 million earmarked for school
construction. A partner in four Denverarea dispensaries comments, “We want
to be transparent, legit [