Blurring the Lines

Today the New York City Police Department was pleased to announce that it will no longer arrest citizens found with possession of 24 grams of marijuana or less; it will give them a "ticket," like a parking ticket.  Oh, well, here we go again!  What's the next step: legalizing pot in the State of New York, to follow other states?  I researched this and was shocked to find out the extent of this growing menace:

"Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form.  Four states have legalized marijuana for RECREATIONAL USE.  Alaska and Oregon will become the next states where recreational marijuana is legal after voters approved cannabis ballot measures set to become effective in 2015," (www.governing.com, 11-12-14).

Right from the start of nursing school, when we learned about the effects of drugs, we knew that marijuana is a "gateway drug," one that not only addicts a certain percentage of users, but leads them to use other, more potent and more addictive drugs, to their ultimate destruction.  After Colorado legalized pot, I asked my two favorite doctors if marijuana was, indeed, still a "gateway drug."  Both simply said, "Yes."

FYI: 24 grams of marijuana is the amount that would 'roll' 60 joints.

It is inconceivable to me that any person would want to get 'high.'  I don't want to pollute my body with an unknown, illegal substance.  Now that's it's legal in places, the mixing of pot with unknown substances such as LSD probably can be controlled.  Yet: the addictive properties are unchanged.

If you want to know more about this, check out www.drugfreeworld.org.  The most disturbing fact I found is, "One study found that youth (12 to 17 years old) who use marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than kids who do not use pot, and that 60% of the kids who smoke pot before the age of 15 move on to cocaine," (11-12-14).

My point is: we must not accept that things that were considered 'wrong' and now magically 'right.'  This is like calling 'cancer' 'health.'  We not only must not 'accept,' we ought to fight this! 

Lord, the challenges in our times seem to be unceasing!  They are multiplying!  Yet we know You will give us the grace to always know right from wrong and also the strength to do what we can to uphold Your truth.  Thank You!