Pot opponents regroup after Washington, Colorado votes

Today, the Associated Press reported on the launch of Project SAM, and here are a few passages and quotes that help tell our story:

“Our country is about to go down the wrong road, in the opposite direction of sound mental health policy,” Patrick Kennedy, Project SAM’s board chairman, said. “It’s just shocking as a public health issue that we seem to be looking the other way as this legalization of marijuana becomes really glamorous.”

“The idea is to halt the legalization movement by arguing the U.S. can ease the ills of prohibition – such as the racial disparities in arrest rates and the lifelong stigma that can come with a pot conviction – without legalizing the drug.”

“SAM board member David Frum said that given the social ills caused by alcohol and tobacco use, no one should be arguing for legal marijuana.”

He told the AP:

“There are not a lot of voices saying you should smoke more tobacco, it’s a cure for what ails you. There aren’t people saying we should raise the DUI limit from 0.08 to 0.12. People who use alcohol and tobacco understand they’re doing something risky. That’s not the message about marijuana, and that’s an unfortunate situation.

“What we should all want is to see fewer young people with criminal records and fewer young people using drugs.”