THE AG CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS ON WEED
During an appearance on the WGBH last week, recently elected Mass Attorney General Maura Healey noted that while she supports existing decriminalization and medical marijuana laws, she draws the line at legalization. Pressed by “Boston Public Radio” hosts to cut the bullshit, she resorted to some nonsense about how legal marijuana could increase black market violence. Ignoring facts, the AG went on to say that she’s concerned about “the kids.” In any case, Healey wasn’t budging.
“I still don’t think that justifies it or makes it right,” the attorney general said. “I mean, there are a lot of things we could legalize. We could legalize cocaine or heroin. We could legalize dissemination of child pornography. It doesn’t make it right.”
As if comparing marijuana to heroin wasn’t bad enough, she threw the kiddie porn gauntlet. Does Healey actually believe that pedophiles are comparable to adults who consume legal pot?
Though she lies in manners similar to any number of prohibitionists, Healey’s reluctance to acknowledge reality is especially reminiscent of outgoing DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart, who once infamously refused to answer Congressman Jared Polis on whether marijuana is less harmful than heroin. Upon hearing that she was stepping down, Polis told the media he was “thrilled,” and said, “We need a more sensible approach to our federal drug policies, and it was clear that Ms. Leonhart was too beholden to antiquated and outdated laws and unwilling to fix things that were broken or look at basic science. I hope that our next D.E.A. chief will be better equipped to recognize simple truths such as, for example, that marijuana causes less harm to the body and mind than heroin.”
Healey also kind of reminds us of John Maddox, the MD who recently wrote in a letter to the Lawrence Eagle Tribune that, “Marijuana intended for medicinal use can end up in the hands of children.” Maddox collects a check working for Haverhill Public Schools as a doctor, which is only humorous in his not realizing the greatest risk for teens related to cannabis is prohibition, which breeds young dealers. In fact legal markets—even medical marijuana markets—make it significantly less profitable for a 17-year-old to set up shop selling pot.
Lastly, just a few weeks ago in Florida, a 15-year-old was indicted for the shooting deaths of his sibling and a suspected pot dealer. According to the Miami Herald, “Miami police allege the brother set up a deal to buy two pounds of marijuana from a trio of drug dealers, but secretly planned a gunpoint ripoff.” If weed had been legal, that wouldn’t have happened. Plain and simple. How many killings have we seen over teenagers selling alcohol?
It’s harsh to say that Healey, or even goons like Leonhart and Maddox, don’t really care about children. But with their baseless rhetoric around legalization, it sure as hell seems that way.
MIKE CANN
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