Opinions

Marijuana foes should stick to the facts, drop the scare tactics

The level of hypocrisy and the contradictions coming from the "No on 2" supporters has really struck me.

Now, hypocrisy and contradictions in politics have always existed. However, what we are seeing this year is so blatant, it's as if they think they can hide it in plain sight.

In the rush to show how much they hate "drugs," those against Ballot Measure 2 and the legalization of marijuana have used extreme scare tactics including comparing marijuana to more dangerous drugs such as heroin and crystal meth.

This type of extremism leads to a dishonest discussion about how we should handle marijuana and poses an obstacle to understanding how we can best help those struggling with addiction, rather than criminalizing them.

These same marijuana fearmongers, however, often discuss alcohol in a very dismissive way. Dave Stieren, a local radio talk show host who has railed against marijuana as something that will bring down our democracy, as we know it, often discusses alcohol in a very playful and dismissive matter.

When a caller asked him on Monday's show, "Which scotch are you drinking?" Stieren replied, "Whatever you are pouring." He then insinuated that if scotch is being poured, he is free anytime.

He and fellow talk radio host Dan Fagan have also has railed against the "nanny state" tactics of laws that forbid tobacco use inside buildings that are open to the public. So his opinion on tobacco is that it's "nanny stateism" to forbid him to smoke his "stogie" three feet away from me in a bar. However, the future of the city depends on ensuring that people are not allowed to purchase marijuana and smoke it in their home.

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While many Republicans have come out in support of "Yes on 2," some Republican organizations have come out against it. When did these Republicans stopped believing Ronald Reagan's words: "Government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem."

In his speech Reagan was talking specifically about taxes, but that attitude was, at one point, a Republican belief. The private sector could do most things better than the government, and the best place for government was out of our lives.

Rather than following blindly -- we should ask, "Why?"

I believe the same is true for all of us. When I decided to start thinking this way, I began with a central foundation. All of my beliefs should be based on this guiding principle --government should be small and laws should only exist to restrict people's freedom when it's absolutely necessary.

This belief is shared with many different Alaskans, who are certainly more libertarian-minded than conservative-minded. This is exactly why the anti-marijuana people are trying to make you believe that marijuana is as dangerous as more serious drugs, even though there simply is no truth behind that conclusion.

We have all heard the arguments on the pro and con side on this issue, and as Stieren said on his KFQD show Monday, most of us have made up our mind on this issue.

However, the arguments from the "Vote No" side may have an unintended consequence that they haven't considered. Comparing marijuana to more dangerous drugs downplays the serious danger of drugs such as crystal meth, heroin, cocaine and many others.

When we make these drugs equal to marijuana in the minds of many, we don't only inappropriately scare people away from marijuana; we ignore the serious dangers these other drugs create.

Nobody can argue, with a straight face, that marijuana has the same effect on its users or on society as these harder drugs. In fact, by many standards, it's much safer than alcohol, which is legal and acceptable in almost all circles.

Addicts, however, are being forgotten in all of this. We criminalize those who are addicted to harder drugs, stick them with felony charges and prison time all while failing to provide them with affordable treatment, and then we wonder why it's so hard for them to be successful.

We don't understand addiction because we aren't addicts. We don't understand the immediate need for release or why someone can be clean for years and in seconds be found lying in an alley overdosed on heroin. We don't understand this because we aren't addicts. Rather than try to understand this, society has just criminalized it and written off the lives of many addicts.

When you are thinking about this issue, please don't forget those who truly need help.

Marijuana is not crystal meth or heroin, regardless of what the fearmongers on the No side want you to think. Don't let fear make you believe that marijuana is more dangerous that it is, or that addicts need prison rather than treatment. Let's strive for an honest and productive discussion on both topics.

Mike Dingman is a fifth-generation Alaskan born and raised in Anchorage. He is a former UAA student body president and has worked, studied and volunteered in Alaska politics since the late 90s. Email, michaeldingman@gmail.com.

The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, e-mail commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com

Mike Dingman

Mike Dingman is a fifth-generation Alaskan born and raised in Anchorage. He is a former UAA student body president and has worked, studied and volunteered in Alaska politics since the late '90s.

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