Our View

Our View

Already looking to expand medical marijuana

We make no bones about it, we are proud to be among an elite group of Arkansas leader, politicians and medical experts who are opposed to this voter-approved medical marijuana amendment.

Disguising this legal pot smoking as a medical treatment for specified illnesses we now learn the woman who backed a competing medical-marijuana measure that the Arkansas Supreme Court disqualified during early voting, is now pushing lawmakers to add nine more qualifying conditions. And, Melissa Fults wants to see lawmakers, many of whom opposed this pot for the sickly people, to add an affordability clause so a fund can be established to help the poor and sickly people purchase their pot.

This is what we can describe as a classic example of Arkansas’ form of “Pot Medicaid” for the sick and poor people in need of toking up on a joint.

Okay, just what are qualifying medical conditions voters approved when they endorse this amendment?

They are: cancer, glaucoma, positive status for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerois, Tourette’s syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, post-traumatic stress disorder, severe arthritis, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s disease, or the treatment of these conditions: A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces cachexia or wasting syndrome; peripheral neuropathy; intractable pain, severe nausea, seizures, characteristics of epilepsy, muscle spasms or multiple sclerosis.

Now then, just how many Arkansas voters who endorsed this pot smoking amendment actually know what most of these diseases actually are? Admittedly, we have no earthly idea on many of these, but by gosh if the physician says we have one of these conditions, sign us up.

Now Fults wants these additional conditions put to the list: autism, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit disorder, bulimia, traumatic brain injury and severe insomnia.

Why not include compulsive ice cream eating disorder or too lazy to work disorder or, how about, too much texting disorder as good reasons to toke up?

Seriously, we predicted all along that the motive behind this amendment is to make it as legally easy as possible for just about anyone to drop into a local “pot shop” and buy a pack of dope.

Our concerns over this are similar to those of the experts as they relate to the consequences. Let’s take for instance law enforcement, workplace environment, user abuse and any possible negative effects on non-users, including children, who may come into contact secondhand smoke.

While the amendment says a person can’t possess, smoke, or otherwise engage in the use of marijuana on a school bus, or the grounds of a daycare center, preschool, primary or secondary school, college or university how many of us actually believe it won’t occur?

Toking up is also prohibited at no hospital other than a drug or alcohol treatment facility, at a community or recreation center, a correctional facility or any form of public transportation. Can’t toke and operate a boat, motor vehicle, aircraft or even a motorized lawn mower. Now, how many people actually believe these restrictions will be obeyed? We’ll leave it at that for the time being.