Two states have already fully legalized marijuana, and
several other states have legalization bills pending vote, including the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. There are significant hurdles which must be
cleared for the full legalization of marijuana, or even the legalization of
medical marijuana, to become a reality for Pennsylvania. Both Governor Corbett
and Attorney General Kathleen Kane have publicly opposed the legalization of
marijuana. Both political leaders cite the outdated gateway drug theory as
their primary reason. In a recent interview, Kathleen Kane speculated that “It doesn't stop just at marijuana” but leads to “oxycodone and then […] heroin.” Governor Tom Corbett also weighed in on the issue, scapegoating marijuana for his lack of progress in lowering Pennsylvania's unemployment rate. Pennsylvania's job growth was ranked 49th in the nation in March, which Corbett blamed on the fact that "there are many employers that say, 'We're looking for people but we can't find anybody that has passed a drug test,' a lot of them." The article which quotes the Governor points out that only 1.8% of Pennsylvanian workers in federally regulated industries had failed drug tests. Given his reluctance to prosecute the Sandusky case as Attorney General, his budgetary cuts to public education and infrastructure, as well as his abysmal approval rating, the future for the sitting governor appears bleak. Luckily for the Democratic Party, Corbett has stated intentions of seeking reelection, making the Democratic Primary critical for the future of Pennsylvania.
The misinformation about marijuana can also be seen in scholarly journals. An editorial titled Anticipated Medical Effects on Children From Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado and Washington State from JAMA Pediatrics predicts an increased number of marijuana "poisonings" among youth from accidentally consuming marijuana laced food. This article is extremely biased, and does not correctly cite numerous sources. For example, the writers state that signs and symptoms of marijuana toxic reactions
"include anxiety, hallucinations, panic episodes, dyspnea, chest
pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, somnolence, central nervous system
depression, respiratory depression, and coma." The article cites this information from "The Toxicology of Cannabis and Cannabis Prohibition" from the scientific journal Chemistry and Biodiversity. At no point in the cited article is dyspnea, chest
pain, or coma even mentioned. The author also states that marijuana causes "stimulation with hallucinations and illusions" and again cites a study which does not support the author's claims. The cited article, titled "Adverse Health Effects of Non-medical Cannabis Use," makes many claims about the harmful effects of marijuana use, yet at no point mentions hallucinations or illusions. I am shocked and outrageed to see this type of blatant dishonesty in an academic publication.
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