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My Turn: Marijuana prohibitionists resort to scare tactics

Sonia Martinez, AZ I See It 8:37 p.m. MST June 13, 2016

I was disappointed to read last month's column from usually sensible and forward-thinking Laurie Roberts ("$113 million for legalizing pot? Sorry, I'm not sold").

She dismissed the $113 million in tax revenue this state could benefit from if voters pass the proposed initiative to regulate marijuana this November. What’s holding her and many opponents back? Misinformation, a lack of information, and politics. In other words: “reefer madness.”

As a parent and law professional, I am concerned that the conversation on marijuana is more about political gains and less about the safety of our communities and children. Clearly, Roberts and the local prohibition advocates are held up by anti-marijuana sentiments, but Arizona voters should look past their scare tactics by getting the proper and right information they need to make an informed and intelligent decision.

1. Teens. Illegal dealers don’t ask for ID. Prohibition has failed for decades at keeping marijuana away from teens. So why are we not doing something about it?

Colorado schools continue to report increases in high school graduation rates and decreases in drop-out rates every year since 2010. Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a study showing no increase in teens' access in Washington state since its law passed in 2012. The proposed law in Arizona would put marijuana behind a counter, with strict age restrictions and packaging standards.

2. Studies. Marijuana is less harmful than alcohol by every objective measure, and as much as opponents don’t like to hear it, it’s the truth. While thousands of deaths are attributed to alcohol each year, nobody dies from marijuana use. In fact, there has never been a documented case of an individual dying from a marijuana overdose.

A study published in Scientific Reports in January 2015 found that the mortality risk associated with marijuana was approximately 114 times less than that of alcohol. Now doctors across the country, including a former surgeon general, are supporting marijuana regulation in the interest of public health.

3. Costs. By keeping marijuana in prohibition we guarantee sales will take place underground, to the benefit of cartels and street-level drug dealers. Our state is denied economic growth and millions of dollars in tax revenue. What is the cost of government being our nanny?

In 2015, Colorado had about $1 billion in legal sales that produced over $135 million in tax revenue for their state. Now, our neighbors to the north are allocating millions in new revenue toward education and health rather than enriching criminals. Prohibition costs us the opportunity to grow our economy and more adequately protect our teens.

4. My Backyard. Roberts fears she may smell marijuana being smoked in her neighbor’s backyard. Here’s hoping her neighbors don’t barbecue on nice evenings. This is no excuse to punish responsible adults for consuming marijuana. You know what I want less of in my backyard? Illegal drug dealers fueled by marijuana prohibition. Let’s put them out of business.

Even after the passage of Proposition 123, Arizona ranks near the bottom of education funding among the 50 states. I don’t know if Ms. Roberts has any children in school. She might think $113 million is chump change. But for schools, which would get the majority of the money from legal marijuana sales, it’s a huge boost.

I urge Ms. Roberts to re-examine her opposition to allowing adults to safely purchase and use marijuana. I urge Arizona voters to do the right thing. Our country rightly ended alcohol prohibition nearly a century ago, and marijuana prohibition should see the same fate.

Sonia Martinez is in private practice and a member and past co-chair of the Arizona State Bar Committee on Minorities and Women in the Law. She's also a mother of daughters ages 19 and 10. Email her at oniamartinezlaw@gmail.com.

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Roberts: $113 million for legalizing pot? Sorry, I'm not sold

Laurie Roberts, The Republic | azcentral.com 4:47 p.m. MST May 24, 2016

Arizona could snag $113 million in new tax revenue if only we legalize pot, according to a new study by the non-partisan Tax Foundation.

And that, presumably, is before you even consider the sales taxes being collected on all those midnight munchie runs.

No doubt, the lure of big bucks streaming into the state treasury will be a big temptation this fall, when voters are asked to legalize recreational marijuana.

Me? I’m wondering just how much we more could bring in if we also legalized methamphetamine or heroin or maybe cocaine.

Just think of the tax cuts that Gov. Doug Ducey would be able to offer.

What's our rush to legalize?

Now, before the pot crowd goes crazy, no, I’m not suggesting that meth, heroin and cocaine are on a par with marijuana.

But I’m still not sold on this wholesale rush to join Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington in legalizing weed.

I’m still remembering the campaign to convince us of the many wonders of medical marijuana. You remember, the heartfelt stories of how it would help granny ease her glaucoma? Never mind that most Arizonans use medical marijuana to ease their “chronic pain” and the biggest day of medical marijuana sales, according to the Department of Health Services, is New Year’s Eve.

That’s not to say that there aren’t legitimate uses for medical marijuana. There are.

But that campaign left me skeptical of accepting much of the smoke blown by the pro-marijuana lobby.

Here's what's holding me back

Four things are holding me back from joining the jubilant parade to legalizing recreational marijuana:

1. Kids. There’s no doubt allowing legalizing marijuana will lead to more kids using weed like they use alcohol. I'm wondering why we'd want to expand opportunities for our kids to use substances that are bad for them? And no, I’m not buying the excuse that it’s readily available now so what the heck. Having marijuana at home next to the liquor bottles makes it even more accessible.

2. Studies. Everybody’s got one, it seems. The problem is, there doesn’t seem to be a definitive study by a serious peer-reviewed medical journal, assuring us that pot is without harm. Until there is, I’m going with the New England Journal of Medicine, which in 2014 concluded that there is a high level of confidence that marijuana is addictive and that “repeated marijuana use during adolescence may result in long-lasting changes in brain function that can jeopardize educational, professional, and social achievements.”

Meanwhile, earlier this month, a AAA study found that deadly crashes involving Washington drivers who recently used marijuana have doubled since the state legalized the drug in 2012. Sure, more impaired drivers. That’s what we need.

3. Cost. I’d like to see a good analysis of the cost of legalizing marijuana before we get too carried away with the riches it will bring our students. Is there really a sound long-term study that shows the benefits of recreational marijuana outweigh the cost?

Consider this, in 60 Minutes interview in 2015 with Andrew Freedman, Colorado's director of marijuana coordination. "I do worry about if we are irreparably harming Colorado. And it's something that will take years to suss out."

Or this, from an interview Freedman gave earlier this month to FastCompany: "Certainly everyone wants to know the effect that marijuana legalization has had on a lot of complex issues. We’ve been tracking data on these things since 2014. But it takes a long time—five years, instead of one or two—to determine, say, if there is a relationship between marijuana use and hard drug use or what’s going to happen to youth use."

4. My backyard. Do I want the smell of marijuana wafting over the fence from the neighbor’s yard every night, as can legally happen once recreational pot is approved? No, I really don't. But under the proposed law, it'll be allowed.

Look for supporters to spend the summer pooh-poohing what they will call “scare tactics”. They’ll talk about Prohibition and how it didn’t work in the 1920s. They’ll talk about non-violent marijuana users who fill our prisons (still awaiting proof of this). They’ll talk about how legalizing marijuana will cut into the black market – as if the drug cartels wouldn’t immediately start pedaling something stronger.

And, of course, they'll be talking a lot about the miracle that marijuana will work on our schools.

Sorry, if this is the price we must pay for full-day kindergarten, then I'm thinking the price is just too high.