What Would Happen if Marijuana was Legal?

Why in the world would I speak about the legalization of marijuana?  First let me start out by saying that I have never tried or used marijuana.  No, this is not the Bill Clinton I did not inhale situation.  It was never something that I had an interest in trying.  However, the public fascination with marijuana and people that admit to using the drug has always surprised me.  Marijuana is a drug crop that is a source of continuing debate within the United States.  Once upon a time I lived in the great state of Colorado. Colorado is known for many things including beautiful mountains and amazing skiing.   Colorado is also known for having a thriving marijuana culture.  In 2002, the Colorado Senate passed an amendment making marijuana possession legal if a doctor prescribed that the person would benefit from the use of marijuana and decriminalized persons carrying 1 ounce or less.  This amendment is strictly at the state level and does not affect federal law.  To compensate for this amendment there are numerous state legal medical marijuana dispensaries located throughout the state.    

Currently, I live in New Jersey and read an interesting article in the newspaper this morning.  In an effort to reduce the stigma and criminal charges associated with marijuana, the Assembly Panel in New Jersey have approved a bill that will greatly reduce the penalties for carrying small amounts of marijuana.  (“Assembly panel OKs marijuana measure”, 2012)The bill still has yet to receive senate approval.   New Jersey is trying to join twelve other states that have decriminalized marijuana. Small amounts of marijuana are classified as being in possession of 15 grams or less.  A summarized version of this article is available at http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012205210306. Supporters of the bill point towards that fact that marijuana is far less addicting and less harmful than alcohol and even cigarettes. Which lead me to the question what would happen if marijuana was legal? 

We allow people to literally drink themselves to death.  Numerous people die from lung cancer associated with the first hand and second cigarette smoke.  On television there are numerous commercials that showcase the harmful effects that cigarettes can have on your body. Yet these vices are legal and provide billions of dollars of revenue to companies that sell these products. 

Medical marijuana is already a billion dollar industry. If marijuana were legal it is estimated that it would generate 35 – 45 billions of dollars. (“How Big Is The Marijuana Market?”, 2010)  Legalization would not only generate billions of dollars in revenue, but good old Uncle Sam would be able to tax that revenue as well.  There is always a concerted effort to help fight the war on drugs.  Would it not be a cost savings to the American people if the money and resources used to enforce the illegal use of marijuana were used on other resources?  There is always a concern with the ingredients of illegal made drugs.  If marijuana were legal and government regulated it would ensure that no one received a tampered batch of the drug. 

People that are against the bill think that it encourages marijuana use among young people. There is a sense that if marijuana was legal it would be sending the message to the people that marijuana was safe.  They feel that marijuana is a “gateway” drug that leads to the use of more drugs that are more harmful to the body.  However, how is this problem any different from using cigarettes and alcohol?  Alcohol and cigarettes are dangerous to a person’s health as noted by various surveys.  There are consumer advisories to use these products in moderation.  Why wouldn’t the same apply to marijuana? 

References

Assembly panel oks marijuana measure.  (2012, May 22).

            The Courier-Post, pp. A1, A5.

How big is the marijuana market.  (2010).  Retrieved May 22, 2012, from

http://www.cnbc.com/id/36179677  

Could you forgive your father’s killer?

In an attempt to get ahead of my school assignments I began working on my reading project this week.  My reading project is a chapter in the book by Immaculee Ilibagiza called Left to Tell.  The chapter and book are based upon Immaculee’s experience during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, while hiding in a small bathroom with seven other women and children.  The article really struck at my emotions and I wanted to pursue the topic further from a different person’s viewpoint.  That is when I came across the BBC documentary named Roger Genocide Baby. 

The documentary which is about one hour long highlights the life of Roger.  Roger’s mother Illuminée Nganemariya was pregnant during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.  She managed to keep her and her son safe during the 100 days where Hutus the majority tribe in tried to exterminate the minority tribe of the Tutsis.  During that time she watched as men hauled off her husband and eventually killed him.  However, she was able to get to safety with her son Roger and soon after migrated to England to begin a new life.  In order to deal with the pain of the situation she wrote a book describing her journey. This documentary could really be about Illuminée Nganemariya herself.  Fortunately, this documentary shines a small light on her viewpoint and spends the other time sharing with the audience the fascinating viewpoint of her son who is now 17. 

In order to explore his Rwandan roots Roger returns to Rwanda.  His exploration is in meeting members of his family that are still alive, attending a remembrance ceremony, and being face to face with a man who was convicted and served jailed time for killing Tutsis during the Rwandan genocide.  He uses his mother’s book as a guide to places that he visits throughout the journey.

It was amazing to see the differentiation of culture between how Roger could have been and the young man he is now.   He does not speak French and was raised in England. He speaks with a pronounced British accent and uses British slang throughout the documentary.  In addition, his clothing and the way that he dresses is far different than his fellow Rwandan’s.  Speaking English gets Roger in trouble when he is in a local shop, shopping for boots.  The shop owner overhears him speaking in English and immediately raises the prices of the boots.  I wonder what his thoughts were when he knows is Rwandan like the shop owner and was essentially excluded or taken advantage of because he did not speak the local language.  How do you look at yourself and your culture after that experience?

The main thing that Roger is searching for is his capacity to forgive.  His mother has forgiven the men who have killed her husband.  Can he forgive the people who killed his father? Can you forgive people that destroyed your entire family and effectively changed cultural traits that you have?

You would think with what happened there is no way that Hutus and Tutsis could live together after what transpired.  Though Roger goes into a village and meets a Tutsis woman whose family has all been killed.  She takes him to meet her neighbor who is Hutus and finished serving jail time for his place in the killings.  Although this man is not the person who killed Roger’s father, he asks Roger to forgive him.  Roger does forgive the Hutus man for his part in the killing, however he admits that he could not do the same if he was faced with his father’s killer. 

I have to commend Roger and his mother for even having the capacity to forgive any Hutus.  In their same situation I don’t know if I would have been able to forgive someone for slaughtering my entire family.  I especially don’t think that I could live as the women in the village and break bread with the enemy.  Perhaps for Roger, his mother, and fellow Tutsis living in Rwanda forgiveness is part of the healing process and redefining the Rwandan culture.