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POT: And now, some facts

| April 11, 2021 1:00 AM

The “Don’t let legalized pot get foothold in Idaho” op-ed from April 7 was a refreshing blast from the past. We haven’t read reefer madness like that since the 20th century.

We haven’t enough word count to fully debunk all of the falsehoods (e.g., marijuana’s not more addictive than booze) and half-truths (e.g., yes, marijuana can cause bronchitis, but not lung cancer) contained in the piece, but you can find our full review online.

Suffice to say, 17 states have moved from medical marijuana to legalization. There are 36 states that have adopted medical marijuana laws. Every state but Idaho has adopted hemp CBD laws.

If marijuana legalization was the devastating policy choice the author argues, wouldn’t at least one of these states have repealed one of these laws by now?

The author warns that approving medical marijuana will just lead to legalization. How? Well, through the approval of voters or the Legislature. So, again, if medical marijuana turned out to be a disaster for Idaho, why would voters then go ahead with full legalization?

Nobody is arguing that marijuana is harmless, though it is far less harmful than alcohol, tobacco, and most other drugs. We are arguing that marijuana is here in Idaho; 200,000 of us use it regularly, and we shouldn’t be jailed over it any more than a responsible beer drinker or cigar smoker should be jailed for their unhealthy habits.

RUSS BELVILLE

Spokesperson

Idaho Citizens Coalition for Cannabis