Does State Promotion of Marijuana Use Cross an Ethical Line?

Conducting research into medical cannabis and recreational marijuana led me to run across something I find disturbing: states promoting marijuana consumption in the run up to the 2023 holidays. Some states were actually encouraging people to gift marijuana. Does that cross any sort of ethical line? I believe so. You might disagree.

It’s one thing to decriminalize medical cannabis and recreational marijuana. It is another matter entirely to actually encourage people to use it. But encouraging people to give it as gifts takes things to a new level. Would the same states promoting marijuana gifting run similar campaigns encouraging people to gift alcohol? Think about it.

The Majority Allow Medical Cannabis

Thanks to aggressive lobbying and grassroots campaigning, the majority of states now allow medical cannabis. At last count, 39 had active medical cannabis programs. The remaining 11 either still ban medical cannabis entirely or grant access only to low-THC products. As for recreational marijuana, 24 states have given it the green light.

Let me be clear in the fact that I have no problem with cannabis as a medicine. I am on board with the fact that Utah, one of the reddest of all red states, issues medical cannabis cards to patients with qualifying conditions. I am all in favor of the state licensing pharmacies like Salt Lake City’s Beehive Farmacy. I’m even happy that state lawmakers appear firmly committed to not allowing recreational consumption in Utah. Good for them.

We already have enough problems with alcohol. We certainly have more than we can deal with on the opioid front. Until we get these two things under control, why would we think that opening the floodgates to yet another intoxicating drug is a good idea?

States Are Promoting Intoxication

What bothers me about states promoting marijuana as a gift idea is that they are actually promoting intoxication. Let’s be honest. People who use recreational marijuana only use it to get intoxicated. There is no other point. If marijuana did not possess psychoactive effects, recreational users wouldn’t use it. Therefore, promoting its consumption equals promoting intoxication.

If state regulators ever openly promoted alcohol intoxication, a firestorm would ensue – and rightly so. We have ample evidence of what happens when people go to Christmas and New Year’s parties, drink irresponsibly, and then insert themselves back into society while still under the influence. They injure and kill people.

The thing about alcohol is that a person can consume it without becoming intoxicated. Can the same thing be said about marijuana? I don’t know. I’m not a scientist or a medical professional. What I do know is that I do not consume alcohol to get drunk. I don’t even like being drunk. But I do know people who use marijuana for the sole purpose of getting high.

It’s Not the State’s Business

I am smart enough to know that the marijuana genie has been let out of the lamp. There is no putting it back in. I also realize that the majority of Americans favor marijuana legalization. Me fighting against it constitutes a losing battle. I accept all that. Even so, states have no business promoting recreational marijuana consumption – especially in the context of giving pot as a Christmas gift.

I can only speculate that the actions of some states this past holiday season were designed to boost tax coffers by promoting retail sales. And if that’s the case, the decision to promote cannabis gifting is even more shameful. I believe an ethical line has been crossed. If you don’t, we can agree to disagree.