Cannabis is nothing like alcohol, yet a cacophony of unthinking marijuana supporters is now screaming to “regulate cannabis like alcohol.” This concept is downright insulting to anyone who understands the cannabis plant. That’s sort of like saying “let’s regulate apples like beef;” it can’t be done sensibly, and the same goes for regulating cannabis like alcohol; it makes such little sense that I wonder if supporters in our industry have really thought this through. So, either put the joint down, or pick one up, and let’s consider why this is an outright stupid idea.
REGULATE CANNABIS LIKE ALCOHOL? YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!
Okay, let me get this straight;
*Cannabis, a non-toxic plant that is virtually impossible to overdose on (A), should be regulated in the same way as alcohol, a substance that 2,200 people over-consume and die from each year in the US? (1)
*Cannabis, a substance shown to offer protective properties against some cancers (B), and an effective treatment aid in addressing existing cancers, should be treated in the same way as alcohol, a substance that has been closely linked to multiple types of cancer? (2)
*Cannabis, a relaxing, “peaceful” sort of intoxicant, should be treated in the same way as alcohol, a substance that is a contributor to 40% of all violent crimes in America? (3)
*Cannabis, which has hundreds of medical uses (C), should be treated the same way as alcohol, a substance that is damaging to personal health (6), and offers scant medical benefits (as consumed by most people)?
*Cannabis, which has never been shown to significantly contribute to dangerous or fatal impaired driving (D), should be treated the same as alcohol, a substance that in the year 2015 alone killed more than 10,000 people in drunk-driving and related automobile accidents in the United States? (4)
*Cannabis, a substance that no one has ever died from, should be regulated in the same way as alcohol, a substance that kills 88,000 people per year in the US? (5)
Don’t these 6 points make it clear that cannabis should in no way be treated like alcohol? Why are we comparing these two completely dissimilar substances at all?
Let us stop this insane push to regulate cannabis like alcohol, and instead, let’s regulate cannabis as the non-toxic, beneficial, and ultimately benign substance that it is. Let us forever and clearly remember the differences between the two substances, and make clear distinctions in our regulation of the two.
Do we want cannabis to be easily available to any free-thinking adult that wants to use it? Of course. Do we want cannabis to be treated or regulated like alcohol?
HELL NO!
(A) Schaffer Library of Drug Policy What is the Lethal Dose of Marijuana? http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/mj_overdose.htm
(B) Bandana Chakravarti, Janani Ravi, and Ramesh K. Ganju Cannabinoids as therapeutic agents in cancer: current status and future implications National Center for Biotechnology Information https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4171598/
(C) NORML Recent Research on Medical Marijuana http://norml.org/component/zoo/category/recent-research-on-medical-marijuana
(D) THE EFFECT OF CANNABIS COMPARED WITH ALCOHOL ON DRIVING R. Andrew Sewell, MD,corresponding author James Poling, PhD, and Mehmet Sofuoglu, MD, PhD National Center for Biotechnology Information https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/
(1) Centers for Disease Control Alcohol Poisoning Deaths https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/alcohol-poisoning-deaths/index.html
(2) Journal of Clinical Oncology Alcohol and Cancer: A Statement of the American Society of Clinical Oncology http://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JCO.2017.76.1155
(3) National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Alcohol, Drugs, and Crime https://www.ncadd.org/about-addiction/alcohol-drugs-and-crime
(4) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Impaired Driving: Get the Facts https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html
(5) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Alcohol Facts and Statistics https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
(6) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Alcohol’s Effects on the Body https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/alcohols-effects-body
While cannabis shouldn’t be regulated in the same way as alcohol. If the government doesn’t have a pattern to follow. They will waste another decade and we will be worse off.
The entire tax system and banking industry also need a visual picture they can see. Thousands more people would be incarcerated implementing a new system. It’s the lesser of two evils short term.
The entire industry also needs to be privatised and not incorporated. Home craft growers will produce a higher quality product. The tax base will be greatly strengthened. The welfare system will have a much smaller role in our communities.
All flower form cannabis should be sold in a flee market environment. All edibles, tinctures, and beverages should be tested , controlled and sold in dispensaries only.
Peace MedDakotabis
I love your insights Mr Cannabastard, you are fighting for the right side. Keep up the great work to make this plant free for all in the near future.
Thanks, Steve!