Morality issues involved in medical marijuana

Morality issues involved in medical marijuana

The Washington County Quorum Court voted 11-2 on Dec. 21 to deny a permit for a medical cannabis production facility near Lincoln. The permit applicants, Native Flower, failed to send anyone to speak on behalf of the project. In theory, this suggests either poor attention to the requirements of the process or applicants not well equipped to stand up for themselves.

Some of the objections involved the placement of a large industrial facility in an area of rural tranquility, a legitimate concern. But some of the objections were based on, as stated by property neighbor Shane Grisham and echoed by Justice of the Peace Robert Dennis, "morality issues."

Morality issues?

Here are some morality issues for these folks to chew on. A family is forced to move to another state where they can legally obtain cannabis to control chronic seizures in their young child. A man dies in agony after years of spinal surgeries, when even massive doses of opiates no longer control the pain. His brief expensive trip to Colorado to obtain medical cannabis proved that it eased his pain by boosting the effects of the opiates. But he couldn't get it in Arkansas where little minds so eagerly insert their holier-than-thou opinions about other people's choices.

Wasting away in chemotherapy and need a few puffs to stop the nausea? Yeah, that's a moral issue. Suffering daily with chronic neuropathy and finding relief with cannabis edibles? Sinner! Repent!

The most outrageous moral issue here is the fact that over a year ago, voters of this state approved a law making medical cannabis legal. The legislators, many of whom evidently share the belief that it's their duty to keep this natural herb out of the hands of their sick and dying neighbors, have stalled ever since, creating rules and regulations meant to delay the law's implementation as long as humanly possible.

At best guess, it will be late 2018 before anyone needing the amazing healing powers of cannabis can actually obtain it legally in this state.

Such ignorance, such arrogance in what they think they know, is what's immoral. It reminds me of the fate of Giordano Bruno, a scientist who asserted that the earth revolved around the sun. Everyone knew the sun and all heavenly bodies revolved around the earth, an idea vehemently defended by the Catholic Church. For his heresy, Bruno was burned upside down and naked at the stake on Jan. 8, 1600, where his merciful executioners placed a bag of gunpowder around his neck before they set the fire. To keep him from speaking more blasphemy in his last minutes of life, they nailed his tongue to his jaw.

There's plenty of research out there on medical cannabis. But many of our state legislators as well as some local ones would never consider learning about such research. They might then be forced to change their minds. Very shaky moral ground, indeed.

Denele Campbell

West Fork

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