The Trump administration now appears to have another tool in its propaganda arsenal to support a federal crackdown on legal marijuana.
Last week, the National District Attorneys Association published a detailed perspective calling for the federal government to beef up its marijuana enforcement across the nation because statewide legalization efforts have given children more access to the herb. The report, ironically released on 4/20, could influence Trump and the Justice Department to get serious about closing the doors on the cannabis trade, reports Colorado Politics.
The perspective indicates that, “legalization of marijuana for purported medicinal and recreational purposes has increased access by children. For all of these reasons, it is vitally important to do all we can to prevent access to marijuana by youth in America. Their health, safety and welfare demand no less.”
It then goes on to suggest that legalization all across the board “clearly sends a message to youth that marijuana is not dangerous and increases youth access to marijuana.”
However, while the same loose argument could be made for alcohol, this group of prosecutors wants Trump to know that booze is different from weed “because alcohol use does not cause the same type of permanent changes to teens’ ability to concentrate and learn that marijuana does.”
To further drive home the idea that the United States should not be party to legal marijuana, the perspective cites a number of supposed “scientific studies” that show cannabis addiction is more prominent in those who began using the substance in their adolescent years. The district attorneys also tossed in research about pot lowering the IQs of children, causing increased rates of high school dropouts and, of course, how these factors will eventually lead to more of the population becoming destitute and unemployed.
Overall, the district attorneys believe, “Federal drug enforcement policy regarding the manufacture, importation, possession, use and distribution of marijuana should be applied consistently across the nation to maintain respect for the rule of law.”
Although some studies may suggest that legalization leads to an increase in pot consumption in the younger generation, the application of this reform does not. In fact, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, who was dead set against the legalization of marijuana prior to the passing of Amendment 64, recently told NBC’s Meet The Press that the state has not seen any increase in teenage stoners.
“We didn’t see a spike in teenage use, if anything it’s come down in the last year, and we’re getting anecdotal reports of less drug dealers,” Hickenlooper said.
Nevertheless, the prosecutors believe it is time to for the federal government to stand up for the law by discontinuing the methodologies behind the previous administration’s “hands off” approach to legalization — bringing the nation back to a time when marijuana was the enemy.
