Ohioans are gearing up for legalized medical marijuana, with some communities, including Lancaster, already taking steps to control or ban distribution within their borders.
Its a conversation worth having, to be sure, but we encourage people not to get too caught up in it. For perspective, were talking about a substance that can only be obtained – legally, anyway – with a prescription, and for the next year or two, it cant even be obtained in Ohio; it has to be obtained out of state.
Meanwhile, enough Ohioans to populate the village of Baltimore – more than 3,000 – died of drug overdoses in 2015, and enough to populate Vinton County, some 12,921, have died since 2010 due to drug overdoses. None of them, from what we can tell, involved marijuana.
Of course, theres little that entities like Lancaster City Council can do to make heroin, fentanyl and their more dangerous cousins even more illegal; were not suggesting that they alter their focus, because it would be pointless. What we are suggesting, though, is that the battle against deadly drugs is much better waged against those drugs that are actually killing people. Oodles of time and money have been spent at the state and federal level arguing over legalization of marijuana, or even medical marijuana; what if that attention and money were added to the fight against more deadly drugs?
To be sure, there are plenty who get it. More than 40 people turned out for the first Fed Up! rally in downtown Lancaster on Wednesday, and other locals have done various things to bring awareness to the horrors of drug addiction.
We understand some people are nervous about having a medical marijuana dispensary in Lancaster someday. The reality is, it wont matter whether medical marijuana is obtained in town our outside its borders; those with a prescription will find it.
What should make people far more nervous is the presence of deadly drugs in all of our communities. Theyre not being sold in stores, but rather on street corners and in back alleys. They represent a far greater danger than a marijuana pill.
Again – more than 3,000 Ohioans died last year of drug overdoses. Lets keep medical marijuana in perspective as we discuss where it can be sold.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Keep Marijuana Discussion In Perspective
Author: Staff
Contact: 740-654-1321
Photo Credit: Steve Dipaola
Website: Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
