Law & Politics

Andy Harris: It's For The Kids, Damnit!, Source: http://cmsimg.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A7&Date=20140511&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=305110005&Ref=ARIf Kevin Sabet and Chris Christie were looking for a third member to play some acoustic crazy in their anti-cannabis garage band, they need look no further than Representative Andy Harris (R-MD).

Harris made himself a figure in the news a few weeks back when he vowed to prevent any funds from going to a reduction in marijuana prosecution or to recreational use. What shouldn’t surprise anyone too much is his rationale for doing so. According to Rep. Harris, his crusade (a fitting title considering the success of the religious crusades of the Middle Ages) is for the benefit of the children.

Harris says, “there is no question in anyone’s mind, nor should there be, that teenage drug use will go up due to D.C. decriminalization laws.” Um. First off, there is a question in my mind and many minds that this will come to pass. It’s true that a recent teenage drug use survey shows an exceptionally small uptick in admitted cannabis use among teens.

However, that same survey showed significant drops in alcohol, tobacco and other narcotic use among the same teens. It also needs to be considered that more teens will likely admit to using cannabis in a world where legality seems pending. All that boils down to us not really being able to factually state that cannabis use goes up in relation to legalization, and it’s irresponsible for someone who wields the power that Rep. Harris wields to cast about these wild and unsubstantiated claims.

Some counterpoints:

“…researchers have concluded that fewer legal barriers to marijuana use — either through the legalization of medical marijuana or the lowering of penalties for pot possession — do not cause the young to flock to the drug at higher rates. A report from the Institute for the Study of Labor found that over the years 1993 to 2011, teen marijuana use actually dropped in states that legalized medical marijuana. That report also noted that only two previous studies had looked at teen use following the legalization of medical marijuana: One found a slight increase; the other found a decrease. Furthermore, when all drugs were decriminalized in Portugal in 2001, drug use decreased among teenagers, according to a Cato Institute analysis by Glenn Greenwald. Under Portugal’s new system, the rate of lifetime marijuana use for teenagers in 10th-12th grade fell from 27.6 percent in 2001 to 21.6 percent in 2006. It also fell for teens in lower grades.”

How does a supposedly educated public official live in the world of shared information and the internet and still pull off spouting nonsense like that? Harris simply doubles down, “Even medical marijuana legalization increases drug use. You can’t take any step at all because where you end up, it’s going to be inevitable and it ends with increased drug use.”

Do I really think this is just about protecting kids? No, not at all. You don’t become a politician so close to Washington D.C. and take on such a hot issue without some political agenda at play under the surface. I’m not saying the guy is a horrible person. Maybe some of his motivation is rooted in protecting children. But I think if that was the case, he should be trying to criminalize alcohol and tobacco. Many, many, many more children have been hurt by alcohol and tobacco than cannabis. Despite the strongly worded claims of the opposition, no respected doctor out there would tell you that cannabis, as a substance, is more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco.

As usual, the passion and ire these crusaders exhibit is not the problem. It is just that they are so addicted to stale, unfounded arguments that are just not true. I welcome spirited debate and discourse; but I can’t really engage with people who grab a blue pen and try to convince you it’s red just because they say so.