More smokers or more honesty?

With the American Medical Association recently rethinking their view on pot, we can see that the stigma behind the drug is changing. For those baby boomers that grew up in a more relaxed culture, hearing that their friends smoked was no shock. But what about in today's society?

According to newser.com, http://www.newser.com/story/74090/boomers-enjoy-new-whatever-tude-on-pot.html, "The number of marijuana smokers in the 50-59 age group has doubled over the past decade." The only questions is, have the number of smokers doubled or the amount that are willing to talk about their smoking habit? With medical marijuana being legal in 13 states, the first cafe recently opening, and the Feds promising to back off of the dispensaries, pot has taken on a new light in American culture. More and more people that are husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, employees, managers, etc., are coming out and saying that they smoke marijuana and lead a perfectly normal life.

The more marijuana is accepted into the American culture, the more people will realize that the drug is mostly harmless (aside from the smoking aspect). The AMA is calling for a review of the Schedule of marijuana. (Read more at: http://rawstory.com/2009/11/ama-review-pot-prohibition/) As it stands now, marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug. For those that are unaware, schedule 1 drugs are those that are thought to have no medicinal use. In this category as well: meth, heroin, ecstasy, LSD, and GHB, just to name a few. If marijuana were to be reviewed and rescheduled, as it rightfully should be, this would open all new doors for drug policy reform.

Do you think that marijuana will be reviewed? If so, do you think the scheduling will change? If they do move marijuana from a schedule 1, what do you think that will mean for drug policy?

-Thanks

Angelica Gagliardi

Vice President

Kent State SSDP