Slow that train down, Casey.
Alaskans are deciding between now and 8 p.m. on Election Day whether to become the third state in the union to legalize and regulate marijuana. We should decide no.
What's the compelling reason to legalize marijuana? What do we gain?
Proponents argue that legalization is a triumph of reason over fear. Alaskans' passage of a medical marijuana law in 1998 fit that argument. But this version of legalization that is Ballot Measure 2 is a toke or two over the line.
First, we don't know exactly what we're voting for. The consumption of marijuana for Alaskans 21 and older will be legal, but it's only after the vote that we'll deal with the devil and his details in months of rule-making. It's those on-the-ground details that will determine whether Alaska looks more like Colorado or Washington, whether we'll have a booming new retail business or a few discreet shops. Bet on the boom and keep a sharp eye out for Joe Camel dressed in hemp.
Second, opponents make a wise argument for patience. Legal weed is running its course in Washington and Colorado. The social, medical, public health and public safety ramifications have not all been settled. Cool heads don't rush to conclusions based on the latest poll or early returns.
Doctors and medical institutions have raised warnings about both short- and long-term consequences of marijuana use and their fears about its legalization. Some of this work is research-in-progress, but reason enough to be wary. For good or ill, two states have become test labs. Let's see how legalization there stands the test of time. Let's see what unintended consequences emerge from them before we set a course for Alaska.
Third, forget the revenue argument. This decision shouldn't be made on the basis of shoring up the state treasury, but on the basis of a common good that runs deeper than taxes.
Fourth, there's just something out of whack here. Look at the time, energy and money going into the campaigns over marijuana. Is marijuana that important? What other far worthier causes might benefit from this investment? The great marijuana debate has put issues like the minimum wage and the Pebble initiative in the shade. Medical marijuana was one thing -- that was a matter of compassion and common sense in easing chronic pain and the course of terminal illness. If the family of a dying loved one passes a joint around the deathbed, don't call the police. Ask the nurse to bring a fan. But is it wise public policy to legalize -- and in effect promote -- another powerful intoxicant, and to do so without knowing the full consequences? No.
All right, there's an argument for the pursuit of happiness, for freedom and privacy. But before marijuana proponents invoke the founders -- and I'll grant that both Jefferson and Franklin likely would have sampled the smoke, given the opportunity -- let's look at our Alaska Constitution, which says that we should all be free to enjoy the fruits of our labors, yet still have an obligation to the common good.
Yes, we should try to reconcile the Ravin decision, which allows Alaskans to possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use at home, with the rest of our marijuana law, which prohibits any means of obtaining it. Maybe the Legislature could allow Alaskans 21 and over a permit to grow a limited amount of their own at home, provided they have no criminal record and never sell what they grow. That's a limited legalization that keeps any commercial industry, with its inevitable cultivation of young, new customers, out of the picture.
Such a measure might be worth a look while a fuller picture of legalization becomes clear in Colorado and Washington. But Alaskans' obligation to that common good tells us there's no reason to go any further.
Frank Gerjevic is an opinion pages editor at Alaska Dispatch News.
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