A Little TLC

So it was a beautiful morning for a hike. The temperature was in the mid 40’s, and it was bright and sunny. The forest was green from the recent rains.

I went up the canyon along an old logging road, heading to an overlook that I knew would have a gorgeous view of the canyon and the valley beyond. The trail I was following gets a lot of traffic from hunters in the fall and horseback riders on the weekends, but at this time of year, I’m usually the only one on it during the middle of the week.

As I neared the overlook, I could hear low voices and occasional laughter. Somebody else was enjoying my spot on this fine morning. No problem; there’s plenty of room to share.

To get to the view, you’ve got to leave the logging road and take a short trail over a ridge. As I topped the ridge, a familiar odor wafted around my head. In my younger days I was frequently surrounded by the smell of marijuana smoke, and I can still recognize it when I come across it.

There was a young couple sitting on a boulder, admiring the scenery, and toking on a joint. I thought it was a little early for potheads to be out and about, but I figured they were on vacation, in love, and looking for a place to get away. They were startled to see me but didn’t make an effort to conceal their actions.

My first thought was, that’s illegal. But then I remembered that President Obama has changed our country’s stance on the use of illicit substances. We no longer look at the drug trade as a criminal problem so much as it’s a public health issue.

That got me to thinking.

Here in Montana the use of marijuana for medical purposes was legalized by the state legislature. As a patient you are allowed to grow up to six plants for personal consumption, or you can have a caregiver provide it for you.

Certain caregivers have so many patients that they’ve had to open stores to accommodate all of their business. Judging by the number of stores, there’s a significant portion of the population suffering from debilitating medical conditions.

The state does little to regulate this budding industry. There’re no standards for quality, purity, or potency. They’re leaving it up to local governments to figure out how to treat the stores for zoning purposes. And when it comes to the source of all this pot, their policy is don’t ask, don’t tell.

I know folks who rely on medical marijuana to get through the day. They tell me it’s the only thing, short of heavy doses of opiates, that alleviates the pain enough so that they can live normal lives. I’m happy for them that they’re no longer criminals for trying to ease their chronic condition.

On the other hand, I think the current system is too easy to abuse. It seems to me that the supply of medical marijuana that’s currently available far exceeds what I would’ve guessed to be the demand for legal uses. I’m not saying that anybody’s breaking the law because I don’t know. The trouble is I don’t think anybody knows because there’s not enough regulation.

Here in Ravalli County, five men were recently arrested on charges relating to the theft of drugs and other items from the John Stone Foundation, a marijuana dispensary in Stevensville. One of the guys, Beau Miller, allegedly stole the stuff. The other 4 guys, one of which was the owner of the store, allegedly beat Miller with baseball bats, a flashlight, and an axe handle.

At some point during the fight, Miller pulled out a pistol. Shots were fired, but nobody got hit, and the gun was wrestled away.

Miller managed to get away and run to a nearby house. The homeowner called 911, and sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene. Miller was bleeding heavily from two large lacerations in his head.

Now I can understand that Miller would appreciate the public health aspects of the situation, especially when he got 15 staples in his head to close one of his wounds, but it sounds to me like this was mainly criminal behavior. Who would’ve thought that trouble could come from allowing folks to sell dope from a store in a strip center along the highway?

In keeping with Obama’s new policies, perhaps all that these gentlemen need is some counseling, medication, and time for rehab. A little TLC (or is it THC) goes a long way.

I don’t know, I guess I think too hard about these things.

Copyright 2010