On the eve of election day...my thoughts on Proposition 19

Disclaimer: I have not sat down and really thought about this nor have I read the opinions of others on the topic.

Disclaimer #2: I do not smoke or endorse marijuana.

After reading the Wiki page I have decided to ramble my initial thoughts. I may change my mind tomorrow or the next day, but if I were a voter in California tonight.... I would vote YES for Proposition 19. Here is why:

• California is in financial turmoil. Estimates vary but some say marijuana sales could generate $1.4 billion of revenue a year. If California doesn't figure out a way to solve their finances, guess who will end up paying to bail them out? The rest of us.
  
• The number of people who didn't smoked pot because it is illegal that will become pot smokers if the Act passes is very small. There will be the same number of pot heads running around as there are today in California - the difference is that now the state can reap some benefits financially. Everyone can choose who they are friends with and who they associate with. If you don't want to be affected by the Act, it shouldn't be that hard not to not hang around people who smoke marijuana.
  
• I actually think that the number of NEW marijuana smokers (kids that are teenagers and experimenting) may actually decrease. I go back to the basic premise that by making something legal, it no longer is seen as "taboo". Teens get a rush by thinking they are doing something illegal or "bad" - maybe making marijuana legal will make it less enticing.
• The medical marijuana thing is a joke. Anyone in the state of California can get a prescription written from a doctor for "back pain" and go buy "medical" marijuana. The police are spending time and energy trying to enforce the whole medical marijuana thing and they are failing, thereby wasting tax payer money.

That being said, below are my oppositions:

• I don't know the numbers on this, but my bet is a rather large percentage of marijuana smokers (maybe 25-30%?) are also abusing other illegal drugs. These people belong in treatment or jail.
  
• I do not agree that marijuana smoking should be allowed at ANY public place. Smoke it in your home or a private residence. That is the only place I support it being consumed.
  
• It is very difficult to prove people are driving while high. I don't think there are very good tests in place today that officers can use when they pull people over. This would need to be improved/changed.
  
• I'm not sure I buy into any real health benefits of marijuana unless you have an underlying condition. It's not like red wine or other alcohol that has proven medical benefits such as lowering cholesterol, etc. I have read studies that smoking marijuana is just as harmful to your body as cigarettes (if not more) so in that sense, I just don't see the purpose/need for it. (In my opinion, cigarettes should be illegal but that's for another blog post.)
  
• It will just be weird. Imagine marijuana commercials. Marijuana companies like cigarette companies. I have grown up my entire 22 years being raised that marijuana is an illegal drug just like any of the other "harder" drugs. Now it will be legal in California? Go to your grocery store and buy an ounce of weed? Go home and smoke it in front of your parents? I can't wrap my head around it.

To wrap things up, I think my biggest argument is that people will always smoke pot. The same demographic of people that smoke pot today will be smoking pot tomorrow. If we as a culture or society deem that marijuana should not be smoked, then we as adults or parents need to teach our children the dangers of smoking. I think of it like cigarettes or even alcohol. I do not endorse cigarette smoking. Most of my friends don't smoke. I don't judge my friends who do smoke. But it is their choice, their life, and their body. If the government is able to make some money off of legalizing marijuana as they already do by taxing cigarettes, then why not? We as individuals can choose what environments we put ourselves in and who we associate with.

Would my opinion change if this were Iowa and not California? Possibly. In my opinion, California is slightly crazy and a world of its own, so what they do will likely not affect my life in small town Iowa.