I would like to take a short break from making fun of conservative columnists in this space, to write about a story that just skipped off the surface of my own social atmosphere. A friend of a friend was driving with her two children a few months ago, and was pulled over for a repair violation of some sort. The cop decided to search the vehicle, found marijuana, and now the children are being taken away by Child Protective Services.
I know a lot of people are probably thinking, “Good!” No, not good. This was a good mother and her two little girls were happy, well cared for, doing well in school and certainly not in any danger because Mom was moving some pot. Now, they will be taken from her, placed into foster care and have to deal with the fact that people they have never met before are keeping them away from the mother they love for reasons they cannot understand. Oh, and for those that are always worried about “costs to the taxpayer”, which option do you think is going to cost you more? The years of social services interventions to help these now traumatized kids grow up, or letting them stay with a loving mother who would have supported and protected them?
The Mom’s only real failure was being a stupid pot broker. In California, anyone can get a recommendation that allows them to grow and possess marijuana legally. If the poor mom had paid one of the many pot-docs in the state $200, the cops would have had to leave her alone. Many people from outside of California don’t realize just how catholic the pot trade is here. Many don’t realize just how normal it is here. How everyone in certain parts of the state, little old ladies, librarians, cops, mayors, everyone grows pot and sells it. It’s just like any other crop. These now confused and frightened kids weren’t subject to a “toxic environment.” There were no skeazy pimp like characters visiting the home and brandishing foul language and firearms. They were experiencing nothing different than tens of thousands of other kids in the state, the only difference was their mom failed to buy the appropriate business license. It’s very easy in California, to forget that pot is considered a dangerous drug by many Americans. Of course, many Americans consider “American Idol” a worthwhile way to spend an evening.
Back to the point at hand. For the millionth time: drug prohibition, and marijuana prohibition especially, ends up causing more harm that it prevents. These two little girls just had their lives fucked, and when they start acting out in fifteen years, it will be all of us that pay for it. Even if you really believe that Marijuana is a dangerous drug that really merits serious regulation – and if so, I’d really like to see your evidence that this is necessary or efficacious- it should be plain to see that taking these children away is a counterproductive move. Prohibition is not just wrong, it’s fucking stupid.