“Here again, another denunciation by Sheila Polk and friends against marijuana legalization.”
— Letter to the Editor, Republic of Arizona, April 5, 2016
She was a lightning rod for the marijuana controversy in Arizona.
This fussy budget chairman warned that there would be big problems as America tried to legalize recreational cannabis.
She said she would popularize a drug that has become far more potent than the 1990s marijuana that Bill Clinton never smoked.
And she said this newer and more dangerous cannabis will pose a unique threat to young people.
Sheila Polk was right.we were fools
Supporters clamored that legalization would eventually wipe out the black market for marijuana, but she pushed back. On the contrary, she says the black market will thrive.
In 2016, then-Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk was the most visible leader in the state’s anti-legalization movement.
She had the best fun at the garden party. Castor oil in a punch bowl.
She was the most stubborn and annoying barrier between Arizonas and their party weeds.
And now it turns out she was right.
We were stupid to legalize marijuana.
Legal weed is not what we thought
Not only is marijuana far more dangerous than Americans realize, but evidence is mounting across the country that legalizing marijuana may actually be impossible, whether you like it or not. accumulated.
For example, in California, the legalization of largest black market According to the Los Angeles Times, this is the drug the state has ever known, resulting in extremely potent and unregulated cannabis undermining the legal market and expected legal cannabis tax revenue. .
New York Times columnist Ross Dousat headlined his May 17 column:Marijuana legalization is a big mistake‘, after examining the collected evidence that legal cannabis is fraught with serious problems, and concluded:
“The legalization of marijuana that we have done so far has been a policy failure, a potential social disaster, and a glaring mistake.”
Among the issues he raises are:
- Rapid increase of “”marijuana use disorderAccording to the 2021 National Drug Use and Health Survey, 16.3 million Americans have gone from casual cannabis consumers to regular users.
- connection between Habitual cannabis use and schizophrenia Infections are on the rise among young men, as outlined in a new study by the National Institutes of Health.
- Evidence is accumulating that “legal medical cannabis, especially when available at retail pharmacies, is associated with conditions such as: High mortality from opioidsAccording to a new paper published in Journal of Health Economics.
Cartels grow marijuana on the black market
But a landmark report in September by the Los Angeles Times and reporter Paige St. John analyzed satellite imagery and found that legalization was “sparked a surge in illegal cannabis On a scale California has never experienced before. ”
The growth of marijuana on the new black market is so vast and easily mobile that it is virtually impossible to force.
“It’s like fighting a huge army with a pocket knife,” Mendocino County, California Sheriff Matt Kendall told The Times.
The St. John newspaper reported that “Rising outlaws are exacerbating cannabis-related violence, leading to shootouts, robberies, kidnappings and sometimes murders.” Some residents who live nearby say they are afraid to set foot on their property. ”
Mexican cartels are aggressively entering California, expanding their operations within the state to avoid the risks and costs of shipping cannabis across the border.
Criminals are terrorizing parts of California
Sheriff Jeremiah Larue of Siskiyou County, California, told the harrowing story of being surrounded by about 200 people while investigating illegal cultivation with one of the sergeants.
A man came to them and said,you don’t belong herehave to leave”
LaRue said on the YouTube show California Insider that it was a public road, not private property, in Northern California County on the Oregon border.
The fear is palpable, Jorge Ventura, the reporter and producer of the documentary Narcofornia, told California Insider. “Throughout my experience, I crossed the border into Mexico. I covered crime and cartels.
“But no elected official in the United States has ever withdrawn an interview with me because he was actually intimidated by the group. this is happening in the US. It’s absurd. ”
Polk tried to warn of danger
Recently, I spoke with the now retired Sheila Polk about the Cartel.
“This is one of the things we have been discussing and trying to raise public awareness about, that cartels are an invitation to operate within our borders rather than outside them,” she said. .
“And the evidence that that’s exactly what happened is stronger than ever.”
Arrested for selling pot?Some people have their records erased
No matter how Arizona regulates the marijuana market, it cannot escape many of these national trends.
Maricopa County Sheriff Detective Matthew Shay told Phoenix 3TV/CBS 5 that he hasn’t yet seen the black market that has captivated California, but the temptation is great. For example imported from California to Metro Phoenix, Operating an illegal pharmacy is very attractive OP. You can make a lot of money and not have to pay pharmacy-mandated taxes. You won’t be bothered by all the regulations that regular pharmacies have to go through. ”
Our state has a less favorable climate for marijuana cultivation and a much smaller population, so we don’t see the scale of the illegal market in California, but like the rest of California, its You will feel the impact.
There are pros and cons in terms of health.Arizona Declines in Teenage Use, But More Kids Use It Misuse consume edible marijuana. The Banner Poisons and Drug Information Center reported 300 calls in Maricopa County in 2022, an increase of 50 from the previous year, KTAR reported.
“That steady increase is nearly approaching the number of calls per day, and we’ve just seen that number continue to rise year after year,” said Maureen Roland, managing director of the center. rice field.
Polk lost a battle against legalization advocates in Arizona. After being defeated on a ballot measure in 2016, Arizona lost in 2020 when it passed a similar bill to legalize cannabis, making Arizona the 12th state to legalize it.
Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia legalized recreational cannabis.
Legal cannabis remains popular, with 68% of Americans using legal cannabis support it, According to a Gallup poll conducted in October.
Arizona unlikely to rescind legalization
As for states like Arizona, it’s unlikely to go back, Polk said.
“It feels useless and I hate to say it publicly because I am very much against legalization and have fought hard. So many, so powerful, so well-funded, and marching across the United States, I don’t see any of that. You will never have the will to figure out what has already happened.”
Ms. Polk said she will continue to work to prevent drug use. MATFORCE, Non-Profit Coalition Established in 2006 to reduce substance abuse in Yavapai County.
“Parents need to understand the importance of marijuana use now more than ever. Marijuana is much more potent than it used to be.”
I asked her what lessons she had learned from the growing number of studies and national authors pointing out the dangers of legal marijuana.
“A lesson learned?” she asked. “I don’t know how to express ‘I said so’.”
Phil Boas is an editorial columnist for the Republic of Arizona.send him an email phil.boas@arizonarepublic.com.
