Even if you are totally turned off by Governor Christie’s showboating on the growing problem of opiates addiction, you’ve got to admit he’s got people looking at the problem. It’s ludicrous to think any addict is going to decide to get help because he or she sees the governor in a tv commercial, but the more people think about any problem, the more likely it’ll find a solution.
However, he’s gone over the top with his hysterical reaction to several gubernatorial candidates saying they favor legalizing the use of marijuana in New Jersey. He claimed “crazy liberals” are “trying to poison our kids.”
He said the Democrats number one priority when a Democratic governor is elected is to tax marijuana use. He called such taxes “blood money.”
First of all, if Christie thinks taxing pot is any Democrat’s first priority, he’s even more out of touch than we thought. With all the major problems in our suffering state – transportation, housing, health, education, gangs, financial threats from Washington, and yes, opiate addiction – we know there are more important things to think about than taxing weed.
However, he doesn’t seem to notice that we expect to raise $110 million in state taxes on alcohol and $175 million on tobacco products this year. He’s happy to get that money despite statistics that show alcohol addiction and tobacco smoking kill thousands of his fellow citizens annually.Few people hate smoking more than I do because I was unable to persuade my husband to give up cigarettes all the years I knew him. He knew the cigarettes were killing him, but he always said giving them up might be worse. So I’m no fan of cigarettes of any sort.
But I think demonizing one form of smoking over another is not right. I think exaggerating the dangers of marijuana while ignoring the proven dangers of alcohol is simply hypocritical. Happily taking income from those who enjoy tobacco, booze, and gambling while calling potential income from marijuana taxes “blood money” is assuming the public is as ignorant and prejudiced as he seems to be.
Yes, definitely, using marijuana may lead to using other addictive substances just like drinking beer could lead to drinking whiskey. Or licking lollipops can lead to binge-gorging chocolates. Alcoholism and obesity are problems, too. So c’mon, let’s give people credit for knowing when to stop.
Studies show tobacco to be more addictive than marijuana and few reputable studies have shown any harm to come from smoking some pot now and then.Looking at states where marijuana is already legal, we see no boom in spaced-out junkies roaming the roads or clogging the hospitals. We see no significant increase in criminal activities. But we can read reports of people who say their pain is eased, their nausea abated, their productivity increased. When marijuana was legalized, Colorado and California didn’t become Cheech-and-Chong country and the sky didn’t fall.
Just like opiate addiction – let’s talk about it and figure out – together — how to address this public issue.
A former assemblywoman from Jersey City, Joan Quigley is the president and CEO of the North Hudson Community Action Corp.
credit:nj.com
