DV Journal

“For an alternate viewpoint, see “Counterpoint: Marijuana Prohibition is a ‘Quint and Curious Relic of the Past'”)

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s pre-election concern for legalizing cannabis has now turned into a need to balance his wish-list budget through a consumer tax if recreational marijuana becomes legal in Pennsylvania. This should be an affront to parents and those interested in working for a healthy Pennsylvania. Now that he has spent time studying the issue, he ostensibly feels enlightened and suggests that those who oppose legalizing this harmful substance are kidding themselves.

However, the governor is mistaken in thinking that legalizing cannabis will eliminate the “shadow market” or that this new enterprise will be run by upstanding entrepreneurs and investors who will adhere to the rules and regulations designed to keep cannabis out of the hands of our youth.

Expecting this nascent industry to act responsibly in controlling minors’ access to these products is naïve. We have decades of experience showing that youth are drawn to forbidden fruits such as tobacco, alcohol, and now vaping. Public health and school systems’ educators have proven to be no match for the marketing tactics employed by these enterprises.

While the rules for marketing this knowingly hazardous consumer product are well-intended and well-written, the governor underestimates the challenges state agencies will face. They simply do not have the time, talent, or inclination to manage this substance effectively. This is not what they were established to do. Strategies aimed at controlling youth access to marijuana will likely follow the same struggling strategies used to thwart historical risky teenage behavior.

If cannabis is officially considered a controlled substance and states recognize its medicinal potential, a reasonable and responsible solution would be to sell it through pharmacies. Creating a redundant cottage industry solely for the benefit of the state and investors prioritizes profit over the health of our youth.

We have already seen the results of the experiment in selling medical marijuana. For example, one medical marijuana dispensary in Pennsylvania is named “CURE,” while another is called “Curaleaf.” A dispensary setting up in Philadelphia is branded “Restore,” with the tagline “Dispensing Happiness” in its print ads; another is called “Beyond Hello.” The examples continue, with names that give the impression, at a minimum, of suggesting “Don’t worry, be happy,” and “Have we got the elixir for what ails you!”

The fact remains that cannabis is classified by federal agencies as a Schedule I substance, indicating a high potential for abuse and no accepted medicinal value, warranting its treatment as a controlled substance. Furthermore, while the former administration pressured the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to downgrade cannabis’s risk, President Donald Trump has decided to leave that determination to scientists.

It will be a tough battle to prevent legislation from reaching the governor’s desk that would unleash the incubus surrounding this “evil weed.” For decades, pro-cannabis advocates have portrayed those concerned about legalization as puritanical or as apologists for the nanny state.

Additionally, it is likely that enough Republicans may acquiesce to join nearly all Democrats in legalizing cannabis, especially as it has become uncool to oppose pot today. The allure of easy revenue generated by consumer taxes is hard to resist for the General Assembly.

The governor and legislators should continue their due diligence on this issue, regardless of what neighboring states have done. In layman’s terms, The Atlantic has published an investigative piece detailing that the promised benefits of legalizing pot have not materialized in the states that have implemented it.

Reports are readily available indicating that today’s marijuana, which teens experiment with, is far more potent than in the past. Supporters of legalization rationalize that not enough is known about the deleterious effects of cannabis consumption due to the tight federal control that has hindered thorough research.

Not only is there ample research showing serious concerns regarding both short and long-term cannabis use, but health reports continue to accumulate, revealing that consuming cannabis poses health problems from head to toe. And these health researchers are not kidding.

If Pennsylvania lawmakers follow Gov. Josh Shapiro and the marijuana industry in pushing industrialized and addictive marijuana for recreational sale, the consequences for our children, mental health, and road safety will be severe.

Despite previously expressing concern as a father and former law enforcement official, Shapiro has now clearly aligned himself with Big Marijuana—ignoring the mounting evidence of its dangers.

The governor is proposing to take a drug that the CDC associates with a variety of health risks and SAMHSA links to addiction and commercialize it to generate tax revenue for the state. In essence, this results in the state being incentivized and benefiting the more an addicted user purchases marijuana.

Commercialization means more addiction and more profits at the expense of people’s lives—just like Big Tobacco. Companies like Trulieve, which already operates in Pennsylvania’s medical program, spent over $100 million in Florida on a ballot initiative to bring commercialization to the Sunshine State. Florida voters smartly said no.

As a father, you have to wonder what Gov. Shapiro was studying. Colorado has had commercialized marijuana since 2012, and according to the state Department of Revenue, there are over 1,000 pot shops, more than Starbucks and McDonald’s combined. Commercialization is, as a mom in California put it, an “in-your-face culture” with billboards colorfully advertising marijuana flavored vapes like Red Sundae and Kushy Punch. The son of Colorado Democratic state Rep. Judy Amabile was “broken” by marijuana use; “Everywhere he went, this product was available and in greater and greater concentrations and potency.”

Research by the Monitoring the Future survey of 8th and 10th graders (2023) found students who see marijuana billboards more than once a day were four times more likely to have used marijuana in the past year and seven times more likely to have used marijuana in the past month (a sign of addiction).

In New Jersey, pot shops advertise with Disney characters and even host kid-themed events like pumpkin carving contests. This isn’t about responsible adult use—it’s predatory marketing aimed at getting the next generation hooked.

Today’s marijuana product is vastly different from what used to be just the leafy plant with single-digit THC. Now, it’s a candy store of fruit-flavored concentrates and edibles with THC contents often in the 60-90 percent range.

Examples of the type of high-potency THC flavored vaporizers from a company like Trulieve include: Lemon Scoop, 81 percent THC; Strawberry Apple, 77 percent THC; Watermelon 77 percent THC; Mac and Cheese, 73 percent THC; and Raspberry Rain, 85 percent THC.

The CDC warns that high-potency THC can trigger psychosis, paranoia, and long-term mental disorders. And the earlier someone starts, the greater the risk. We are sadly seeing a surge in mental health problems among young users. Despite efforts to curb youth use, legal markets are hurting more children. As a 2023 study by Temple University found, when you allow commercialization of marijuana, more children and young adults will use it.

The many risks to children and the increase in use in legalized states are in large part why health organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians oppose legalization for recreational use.

“It’s just getting worse in terms of the number of kids who are being impacted by cannabis because the potency is so high,” said Dr. Leslie Walker-Harding with Seattle Children’s Hospital to The Seattle Times, highlighting how children are the collateral damage of commercializing high-potency THC. “We’re now seeing many more mental health issues – schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, anxiety. I’ve seen it and it’s scary.”

While law enforcement shares concerns on the impact specific to children, public safety on the roads is another chief concern.

The dangers on our roads will only get worse. The data is clear; marijuana legalization leads to more crashes and fatalities. Science Direct found up to 1,400 more traffic deaths per year in states that legalized weed. And according to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, Pennsylvania can expect at least 40 more fatal crashes and over 1,000 additional accidents annually. Is this really a risk we’re willing to take?

As the National Safety Council points out, “Intoxicating cannabis products, including marijuana, can have a major impact on safety at work and have been proven to slow reaction time, impact memory and impair skills essential to driving. State legalization of the drug creates new challenges for employers.”

The primary voices for law enforcement – the National Fraternal Order of Police and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association – are opposed to the type of marijuana plan that Shapiro proposed. Even safety groups like American Automobile Association (AAA) are opposed “due to the inherent traffic safety risks.”

In short, Shapiro is taking a position on marijuana commercialization that goes against mainline health organizations and law enforcement agencies.

Gov. Shapiro, are you prioritizing Pennsylvania’s children and public safety—or are you more concerned with political ambitions, and pleasing corporate donors and political allies? The evidence is clear: this policy will harm our communities. Stop selling out Pennsylvanians for Big Marijuana’s profit.

Ivy League credentialed, six-figure experts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have discovered that parenthood is stressful.

Stop the presses! As The Wall Street Journal’s James Freeman is wont to say, “What would we do without experts?”

The NIH could have saved taxpayers gobs of their hard-earned dollars by asking the parents of any 2-year-old if parenting is stressful.

I’ve noticed a disturbing trend among progressives’ efforts to address putative societal problems.

First, these “solutions” pander to the basest instincts of humankind: selfish, self-centered, self-seeking, undisciplined, tribal. Parenthood stressful? Don’t have children.

Second, the sum total of these proposals either harms the purported beneficiaries or make matters worse, which in turn precipitates cries for additional misguided fixes. Concepts like self-discipline, character building, self sacrifice, accountability, perseverance, hard work are rarely mentioned.

President Joe Biden, employing the cover of compassion to forgive billions of student debt in return for the votes of the grateful tens of thousands who squandered their college years pursuing worthless degrees, is but one example of liberals’ pandering to the all-too-human wish to get something for nothing.

Student loan forgiveness is one blatant example. There are other less obvious ploys.

Many in the woke community now proclaim obesity as beautiful. Check-out the many television commercials featuring rotund spokespersons for this product or that. Cheerleader squads now include a requisite DEI quota.

Abandoning science for fashion, the American Medical Association has classified Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure for diagnosing obesity, as racist.

For members of the fat acceptance movement “Fat Pride” is the preferred nomenclature.

Those losing the battle of the bulge no longer overindulge. As Flip Wilson used to say, the devil —- in the guise of the environment, too few recreational facilities, fast food, manipulative marketing by food conglomerates, and increased portion sizes —- makes them do it.

Archaic concepts like self-discipline and free will are passé. If obesity isn’t my fault, I may as well enjoy it. Actress Kate Winslet is proud of her belly rolls.  Good for Kate. Unfortunately, her exuberance doesn’t change the inconvenient fact that obesity kills.

The drive to legalize marijuana barely needs mentioning. Ask any drug addict how they wound up on the streets and the majority will pinpoint marijuana as their gateway drug.  Legalization removes the criminal guardrails and social stigma associated with drug use.

Consequently, drugs become more available and more attractive. A steppingstone toward full legalization are medical marijuana cards with their disability diagnoses and attendant benefits.

Abortion, of course, is the elephant in the room. Hillary Clinton, aided and abetted by the Supreme Court’s discovery of a right to privacy in the penumbra of the Constitution, rode the bromide “safe, legal, and rare” to legalization.

Rare? Safe?

According to the Pew Research Center, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported a yearly national total of 625,978 abortions in the District of Columbia and 46 states in 2021, up from 597,355 in those states and D.C. in 2020. The corresponding figure for 2019 was 607,720.

Readers can ask themselves whether these statistics harmed the fabric of America and its people or made them better.

The common thread in progressives’ agendas is the license to do as we wish, consequences be damned. But the irrefutable fact is that all actions have consequences. The only question is, who pays?

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The Camden Apothecary Dispensary & Wellness shop is offering a 10 percent discount for teachers who buy marijuana there.

“Because sometimes an apple just isn’t enough,” its Facebook ad says.

While the line is meant to be funny and grab attention, pharmacist and owner Tony Minniti, 54, seriously wants to help people. Minniti started working in his grandfather’s drug store at 14. When his family’s business bought Bell Pharmacy in 1997, he found an old bottle of prescription marijuana from the 1930s.

So when New Jersey legalized marijuana for adults over 21 in 2021, he was happy to add a marijuana dispensary next to his pharmacy.

Minniti’s parents were teachers, and his wife is an assistant superintendent, so he knows firsthand how much anxiety the job can bring.

“Obviously, we wouldn’t want teachers to be under the influence of anything while they’re teaching,” Minniti said. However, many of his patients are taking strong prescription medications for anxiety, depression, or insomnia. And those patients might be able to benefit from using marijuana, with their doctor’s permission, instead of more potent pharmaceuticals, he said.

And while other marijuana dispensaries offer discounts for first responders and veterans, he thought teachers should also have a discount.

“Those in the education field have an extremely stressful environment,” Minniti said. The discount “makes it more affordable for them to avail themselves of something that may help.” Over the years, he’s seen teachers “wrestle with and cope with stress.”

Marijuana is not covered by health insurance and remains an illegal drug under federal law. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) joined 10 other Democratic senators in a letter to the Biden administration Tuesday asking that it be legalized. Fellow Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, who is up for re-election this year, did not sign the letter.

“Thus, the DEA should deschedule marijuana altogether. Marijuana’s placement in the CSA (Controlled Substances Act) has had a devastating impact on our communities and is increasingly out of step with state law and public opinion,” according to the letter which Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also signed.

Minniti said marijuana can be used to treat pain for cancer patients and others with chronic pain conditions instead of opioids, which can be very addictive. And people feel comfortable talking to pharmacists about whether they should try marijuana for their conditions.

Some of the other pharmaceuticals commonly prescribed for anxiety can change people’s brain chemistry, he noted. Many, like Xanax, are recommended for short-term use, yet people often stay on the drugs for much longer. Patients using Ambien for insomnia often stay on it for lengthy periods, he said. But marijuana might help them instead with fewer side effects.

“Why not have that conversation?” asked Minniti. Marijuana can also treat opioid and alcohol addiction, he said.

Minniti acknowledged that “a lot” of his customers come over the bridge from Pennsylvania to buy marijuana. But he noted that Pennsylvanians also cross over to New Jersey to buy liquor and cigarettes, which they’re not supposed to. And, by New Jersey law, they don’t keep their marijuana clients’ contact information.

“I’d ask if the discount would be larger if a bunch of us got together and bought in bulk,” said retired teacher Carol Bassetti, a Cheltenham resident. “I definitely agree with their motto.”

Older people are more comfortable going to a dispensary that is part of a pharmacy rather than a freestanding marijuana store.

“What we try to bring is a health-related focus,” said Minniti. “More so than clerks in the liquor store (for those who are self-medicating with alcohol). We bring a serious medical approach. It’s not Cheech and Chong. There is the potential to help a lot of people.”

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For an alternate point of view, see: COUNTERPOINT: PA Should Join Neighboring States to Legalize Marijuana 

When I was in high school 20 years ago, marijuana use was generally confined to buying dime bags of dry flower that had a THC potency in the single digits (THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana that gives the high). No one was vaping marijuana because vaping wasn’t around yet.

Today, not only has marijuana flower been industrialized to produce upwards of 30 percent THC and more, but you have a host of new delivery mechanisms – including vapes that come in a kids’ menu of flavors like Blueberry Cookies and Orange Crush – that can range between 80-90 percent THC and higher.

No longer are teachers and educators just finding a few students smoking weed under the football field bleachers but are now confronting students vaping marijuana in school, not only in bathrooms but right in the classroom as well, with devices disguised as USB drives and even yellow highlighters.

We have never experienced a time in history when the potency strength of manufactured marijuana is as high and in such a diverse set of products as it is today, and children and young adults are using today’s marijuana at record rates. Both facts are colliding, and the impact of this wreckage is made significantly worse by a state government that encourages its recreational use through legalization.

Earlier this year, researchers at Temple University released a study finding that more children and young adults use marijuana because of states legalizing its recreational use, particularly due to the lowering of perceived harm by making it legal. It is a logical conclusion: if you increase access, you increase use.

We know that using today’s industrialized marijuana with upwards of 99 percent THC can have damaging health consequences, including marijuana use disorder (MUD), the medical term for addiction; risks that increase exponentially for those using in their mid-20’s or earlier as it impacts their developing brain.

“The risk of developing marijuana use disorder is stronger in people who start using marijuana during youth or adolescence,” states the CDC. And according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), addiction rates nearly double when you start using before age 18.

Addiction to marijuana? Yes, science has proven today’s marijuana can absolutely be addictive, and rates are steadily increasing. Yet there are some Pennsylvania state lawmakers who dismiss the addictive traits of marijuana. State Representative Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia) has gone so far as to claim not only that marijuana is not dangerous or addictive but that the only thing at risk with legalizing marijuana for recreational use is potato chips and Fritos – alluding to getting “the munchies” after use.

Not only is this joke insulting to families who have been directly impacted by the harms of marijuana use, but it denies the existing science and evidence that are contrary to those archaic claims. There’s a reason why every major medical association is opposed to legalizing recreational use.

We know that there has been a significant change in potency strength in the last decade. In 2014, Washington State’s total market of manufactured marijuana extracts was 9 percent. Today, extracts are now 35 percent of the market. This growth has led to calls for potency caps.

“Twenty years ago, prescription opioids were seen as a breakthrough in pain relief,” writes The Seattle Times Editorial Board. “We understand now the human costs of addiction and dysfunction. This state should not make the same mistake with high-potency marijuana.”

We also know that, in states like Colorado, the commercialized sale of marijuana – backed by Big Tobacco and their predatory history of targeting teens for addiction – has led to more marijuana shops than McDonalds and Starbucks combined. This market proliferation is also reflective in the use of social media and billboards advertising these harmful products.

Additional harms caused by marijuana legalization include an increase in DUIs and drugged driving fatalities. Evidence from the two states who started experimenting with marijuana legalization for recreational use, Colorado and Washington State, both witnessed an increase in motor vehicle accidents and fatalities.

A 19-year old woman from Pennsylvania was recently charged with involuntary manslaughter and DUI after having marijuana in her system when she was driving and killed a motorcyclist and father of three. If we don’t want an increase in these types of scenarios, then we should listen to law enforcement and safety associations like AAA and oppose marijuana legalization for recreational use.

When voters are given options of marijuana policy that are not just a one-size-fits-all model for recreational use, options that include ways to address the criminal justice system, voters often do not favor full recreational sales.

Here in Pennsylvania, there are options available to our state lawmakers to improve our medical marijuana program. The question is who do we help: an addiction-for-profit industry or our children? Will we protect public health and safety or subject communities to the harms caused by commercializing manufactured marijuana?

I know my choice.

Will this be the year that Pennsylvania legalizes recreational marijuana?

Two state senators, a Democrat and a Republican, announced they are introducing legislation to legalize it in the Keystone State.

“We have a unique and singular opportunity to correct decades of mass incarceration, disproportionate enforcement against marginalized communities, the criminalization of personal choice, and the perpetuation of violence, which all materialized from the failed war on drugs,” said Sen. Sharif Street (D- Philadelphia). “Legalizing the adult use of cannabis will help us fully and equitably fund education, lower property taxes, and address various community needs throughout Pennsylvania.”

The legislation would grant licenses to sell marijuana to social and economic equity applicants while providing room for new and existing licensees to ensure demand in Pennsylvania was met. Also, it expunges non-violent marijuana convictions for medical marijuana patients and goes further to expunge all non-violent marijuana convictions.

Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) said, “Legalized adult use of marijuana is supported by an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians, and this legislation accomplishes that while also ensuring safety and social equity. With neighboring states New Jersey and New York implementing adult use, we have a duty to Pennsylvania taxpayers to legalize adult-use marijuana to avoid losing hundreds of millions of dollars of new tax revenue and thousands of new jobs.”

The bill sets the minimum marijuana consumption age at 21 years old and provides appropriate deterrence to keep marijuana out of the hands of anyone under 21. Additionally, law enforcement would be given the means to adjudicate driving under the influence and the authority to pursue and eradicate any illicit market. The legislation also bans any marketing directed toward children and sets workplace requirements regarding marijuana use for those operating in good faith.

During state budget hearings held in 2021, the Senate Appropriations Committee was told by the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office that legalized adult-use marijuana could generate $400 million to $1 billion in new tax revenue for the commonwealth, the senators said in a press release.

Daylin Leach, a former state senator for Montgomery and Delaware counties, said, “I actually introduced the first bill to legalize recreational marijuana in 2018 (SB 350). Getting rid of the pernicious arcane policy of prohibition is long overdue. But it’s important to get it right. I hope they’ve taken the time to fully understand the issue.”

“I’d rather they buy it legally. If they’re going to get it, they’re going to get it,” said Ed “Eddie Z” Zampitella, who owns a sober living club, The Last Stop, in the Kensington section of Philadelphia.

If people buy illegal marijuana, it can be laced with fentanyl, which may be fatal, he noted. And also, they may go into bad neighborhoods to purchase the drug, where “they can get robbed or killed,” Zampitella said.

But Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub has a different perspective.

“This seems like pure rationalization for the government to make more money from a taxable vice. DUIs, and therefore DUI-related crashes, injuries, and deaths, will increase due to this legislation,” Weintraub said.

Street and Laughlin also touted the benefits to the state’s farmers. The legislation may also strengthen Pennsylvania’s robust agricultural industry by empowering farmers and craft growers across the state to grow marijuana in a manner that is safe and regulated, they said in a press release. Additionally, it would allow Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana patients to grow a limited number of cannabis plants at their homes for personal use to help ease the cost and accessibility burdens that still exist for medical marijuana.

The legalization effort comes as more studies raise questions about the impact of the widespread use of marijuana on mental health and brain development.

A study published in the medical journal Lancet last year found that high-potency cannabis is associated with a greater risk of psychosis and addiction. And a newly-released National Institutes of Health study showed young men with cannabis (marijuana) use disorder have an increased risk of developing schizophrenia.

“Previous studies indicate that rates of daily or near-daily cannabis use, cannabis use disorder, and new schizophrenia diagnoses are higher among men than women, and that early, frequent cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia,” the NIH reported.

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Now that Dr. Mehmet Oz has former President Donald Trump’s endorsement, he believes half of the Republican electorate will break his way with the remainder of the candidates divvying up the rest.

“There’s one person who is [the Trump candidate]: Dr. Oz,” said Oz in a podcast interview with the Delaware Valley Journal on Wednesday. “There’s five who aren’t. And those five people now have to split up the remaining half of the electorate. And most of those voters are going to vote for me anyway, because they know I’m going to win. And they want someone who has a bold, loud voice who goes to Washington — not as backbencher — but as someone who can articulate exactly why conservative ideas are better ideas.”

As for attack ads from hedge fund CEO David McCormick, who is vying for Oz for first place in the polls, or PACs supporting McCormick, Oz explained his years on television have given them plenty of bogus ammo.

“They never show footage of me saying what they’re claiming…There’s a reason for that. They’ll pick the promo of a show. Listen, I’ve had a network television show, the top health show in the world for 13 years,” the celebrity heart surgeon said.

Both Oz and McCormick angled for Trump’s endorsement. Oz said he received it because Trump “did his homework. He compared me to Dave McCormick and looked at the details of our records. Did we stand up for folks? Are we pro-Second Amendment, pro-life? Are we pro-American energy dominance? Are we tough on crime? Will we fight against the woke mob that wants to tear down much of what they think is our irredeemably stained society?

“And he decided I was the best person to carry that banner,” Oz said.

But what about the moderate Republican voters in the Delaware Valley suburbs?

“The Republicans that I speak to in the four counties, and I spend a lot of time in my home district…strongly believe in the conservative values espoused by the Trump administration. Yes, it made them uncomfortable to see some of the tweets. But as I make clear when you’re being attacked continually with a dishonest and far-left, liberal-leaning media, in many cases, you do get to become a bit of a porcupine and you need to have thick skin and the ability to punch back when people attack you.”

If the Republican primary voters pick Oz as their nominee he could very well be pitted against Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a progressive who is leading in the polls on the Democratic side.

While Fetterman wants a moratorium on fracking, Oz favors U.S. energy independence and unleashing Pennsylvania’s natural energy abundance.

“We have all the resources we need that if we were able to harvest natural gas from out West or up North and pipe it through Philadelphia to where the Naval Yard used to be, and you can put it on ships. It would be a huge moneymaker for the city of Philadelphia (to) address our financial needs and help our allies stay safe from Russian or other toxic forces.”

And Fetterman has been a vocal proponent of legalizing recreational marijuana.

Oz, for his part, has no problem with medical marijuana but opposes legalizing pot for recreational use. Oz says he never tried marijuana himself, adding that as a doctor, he did not want to be impaired and unable to help his patients because he had gotten high.

“I have strong sentiments against the legalization of marijuana because we already have a problem with getting young people to work,” he said. “And if you build a psychological addiction, right, that tells people you can’t get through the day unless you smoke a joint, which is what Fetterman is saying is okay, we’re going to have even fewer people engaged in life and they lose their dignity when that happens.”

And, Oz spoke out against teaching young children about gender nonconformity.

“I’ve covered the topic of my show, 80 to 85 percent of kids who say they are transgender will naturally, if they’re not influenced, go back to their biological gender,” Oz said. “But if you change that natural history, if you place ideas in a 5-year-old kindergarten kid’s mind, then you’re going to mess with their mind. You’re not letting them do what kids have done throughout society. Once in a while, Johnny walks in mom’s shoes. It doesn’t mean anything. Love the child, embrace them, let them be who they need to be. And over time they work it out. If you interfere with that process, you hurt people.”

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Several friends were milling about talking over sports and such when our conversation abruptly took a serious turn.

The catalyst for the change was the death certificate in my hand. The deceased was a friend’s 35-year-old former husband and the father of their 7-year-old daughter.

The document told his story: Time of death “Approx-0705,” Immediate Cause of Death “Adverse effect of drugs, ” Interval Between Onset and Death “A few minutes, ” Manner of Death “Accident.”

Odds are marijuana was the gateway drug to his 20-year addiction. Of the many addicts I have known, the majority will attest that marijuana was their first drug of choice.

To quote one young man about his first high, “ The feeling was incredible. All my social anxiety instantly went away.” His descent into addiction was driven by his pursuit of that first sensation.

The conversation then turned to the incongruity between the push to legalize marijuana and the so-called “ War on Drugs.”

It beggars belief that anyone the least bit acquainted with the insidious progression of drug addiction would ever call for the legalization of marijuana, the gateway drug to every more powerful and deadly drug on the market.

What sticks in my craw most is the unconscionable duplicity among certain politicians who attempt to have it both ways: Legalize marijuana for the tax revenue it offers while covering their tail by pouring millions of dollars into the largely symbolic (“We’re doing something!”) and astonishingly unproductive (no measures of efficacy) “War on Drugs.”

In his Feb. 16 Wall Street Journal column, “Super Bowl of Sin Taxes,” Daniel Henninger strikes a similar note.

His topic was sin taxes, specifically legalized gambling and legalized marijuana, and the windfall in tax revenues they generate to state and federal coffers. New Jersey, the U. S. sports-bet capital, took in $200 million in gambling tax revenue last year.

Sixty percent of Americans favor medical and recreational marijuana use. Recreational marijuana is now legal in 18 states and Washington D. C.

New York’s Sen. Chuck Schumer plans to introduce a federal legalization bill in April. It has a cannabis tax that starts at 10 percent and rises eventually to 25 percent.

Henninger writes that sin and sin taxes are now passé. Consequently, much of contemporary American government is now amoral.

“After decades of pretense from government about its good intentions, government doesn’t much care one way or the other anymore.”

“Any previous pro-social purpose, “he writes, “has been overwhelmed by the crude need to maximize revenue no matter the source, especially in open-spigot states such as New York, New Jersey, and Illinois.”

Echoing my annoyance he writes, “We are legalizing marijuana just as opioid addiction and overdoses from ‘recreational’ fentanyl skyrocket.

“In virtually all the legalizations of marijuana or gambling,” he continues, “the politicians include language about creating programs for prevention and rehabilitation. It’s boilerplate, a pro forma caveat that rarely delivers.”

Politicians don’t care that a 7-year-old girl lost her father to drug addiction so long as they get the one thing they want—a steady stream of tax revenue from both users and the commercial cannabis interests.

Deaths are simply an acceptable cost of doing business.

Henninger concludes, “When more people understand that the goal of governments today is to take rather than help, as they piously claim, perhaps we can have a sensible discussion about whom to tax and for what purposes.”

A discussion long past due.

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In recent years an increasing number of states, both red and blue, have legalized the sale, possession, and use of marijuana. This is good news, Prohibition has been one of the most pernicious domestic policies in all of American history. It is racist, cruel, heartless, expensive, irrational, and devastating to entire communities. Ending it is long overdue. However, while I am proud to have written and sponsored Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law (Act 16 of 2016), the recreational prohibition still endures, and every day it persists is an injustice.

First, it is important to understand the history of prohibition. A Pennsylvanian named Harry Anslinger was head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics during alcohol prohibition in the 1930s. When that ended, Mr. Anslinger needed a new justification to fund his department. He opportunistically seized on Cannabis and began a crusade to make it illegal. But he didn’t argue that pot was bad for you. Instead, he testified to congress that “Marijuana makes Black people think they are just as good as White people” and “Marijuana makes White women desire sexual relationships with Black men.”

Thus, a policy steeped in racism was born. Even though cannabis use is approximately the same among all races, if you are Black, you are four times more likely to be arrested on marijuana-related charges than if you are White, and once arrested, are five times more likely to be incarcerated. Every year 20,000-25,000 Pennsylvanians, largely people of color, are thrust into the vortex of the criminal justice system. This often prevents them from continuing their higher education or from getting a job, permanently altering the trajectory of their lives.

Compelling arguments in favor of prohibition are difficult to find.

Some argue that marijuana is bad for you. But even if cannabis is in some way unhealthy, it is not the role of our criminal justice system to force healthy choices on free individuals. Cigarettes kill over a thousand Americans per day in truly horrific ways. Yet cigarettes are legal in all 50 states.

Comparing marijuana to alcohol shows even more starkly how irrational our policy is. Alcohol directly kills 95,000 people per year. Marijuana has no lethal dose. Zero people die of cannabis poisoning or overdoses each year. Alcohol is physically addictive, to the point that withdrawing from alcohol addiction too quickly can itself be fatal. A person can develop a habitual dependency on marijuana. But nobody quitting it will have delirium tremors or die. People using alcohol are often violent and reckless, cannabis makes people relaxed and mellow. There are virtually no reports of domestic violence committed by people under the influence of marijuana. Yet not only is alcohol legal in Pennsylvania, but it is also actually sold and promoted by the state itself.

The ban on cannabis also causes crime far more serious and violent than simple possession of marijuana. Because prohibition prohibits a legitimate and regulated market, it forces those who use cannabis to support an underground black market. Such a market can’t be governed by the courts and police like other businesses are. Instead, it is, of necessity, governed by criminals, drug syndicates, and violence. Eliminating prohibition will (like with alcohol), over time, end this illicit market. But under current law, every dollar that isn’t going to a licensed, vetted, regulated entrepreneur, ultimately goes instead to a violent drug cartel.

Some falsely argue cannabis is a “gateway” to harder drugs. Sure, maybe a high percentage of heroin users previously used cannabis. But an even higher percentage of heroin users previously drank milk. The point is that looking at what a hard drug user previously did is in no way proof of causation. A better metric is to look at how many marijuana users go on to use heroin. That is approximately 3 percent. The same studies that show this also show that alcohol is a far more effective gateway drug than cannabis. Yet nobody is calling for the return of alcohol prohibition.

Certainly, there will be some people who use marijuana irresponsibly. They may choose to get high rather than go to work, or they may drive while under the influence. However, in the states that have legalized recreational marijuana, there is no evidence that the rates of DUI-related car accidents or injuries have increased.

Responsible marijuana users shouldn’t pay the price of the small percentage of people who are negligent. We don’t turn people who drink beer or wine with dinner at home into criminals because some people drive drunk. That would be unfair and nonsensical. Marijuana users should be treated the same.

Legalization would benefit society in numerous ways. We’d save hundreds of millions of dollars per year if we didn’t have to arrest, process, prosecute, incarcerate and monitor people for smoking a plant that makes them feel giddy. But the economic benefits don’t end there. Cannabis is currently a  $35 billion per year industry. With the right legal changes, that could, within 5 years, grow to be a $75 billion per year industry. This will create literally millions of new jobs. So rather than destroying people’s careers, we’ll be giving them opportunities.

The best argument for legalizing marijuana can be found in the states that have already done it. The sky has not fallen. The world has not ended. Instead, well-regulated grow houses, dispensaries, cannabis lounges, and delivery businesses are thriving. People are freer. The prison populations are being reduced and tax dollars are coming in, instead of pouring out. This is clearly the direction in which history is going. It is time for Pennsylvania to step into this brighter future and consign cannabis prohibition to the ash-heap of history, where it belongs.