Measure 80, “The Oregon Cannabis Tax Act,” slated for the November ballot begs for our diligent attention.

Two articles appearing on the editorial page of the Sunday Oregonian dated July 29 (one written by the editor and one by the associate editor) paid tribute to the right of debate over the legalization of marijuana, but both were clear in explaining the flaws in this latest push to “chip away at the legal barriers to recreational marijuana use.”

Reading the articles compelled me to read Measure 80 in its entirety. I have to admit that whether you are a cool-head or a hot-head, navigating this measure is a difficult exercise in patience.

Having taken debate in high school and continuing to actively embrace the process, I have learned to dissect arguments into categories and house their components into separate compartments.

The discourse of this particular measure is filled with some fact, some fiction, some emotion at times and a lot of prejudiced self-interest. I don’t often beg, but I am begging you to read the measure and use the brain that has been given you (hopefully the one that is free from the influence of cannabis) to reach a reasonable conclusion as to how you should vote come November.

The measure is long (not as long as the health care bill, however), rambling, and at times it seems to conflict with its own precepts.

The petitioner of the measure is Paul Stanford, who owns a chain of medical marijuana clinics, and he expresses some interesting perspectives on arguing for the legalization of this mind-altering substance.

Within the body of his measure he cites information claiming that George Washington grew marijuana for over 30 years, that Thomas Jefferson was an ardent supporter, that another governor from the 1700s found marijuana preferable over tobacco, and then quotes one carefully selected but obviously misunderstood verse from the Bible as God’s support of his position.

Mr. Stanford serves up a recipe for change that has an interesting but unconvincing mixture of selective history, agriculture, science, propaganda, discrimination, education, legislative controls, religious interpretation and self-serving control systems.

I challenge you to read the measure and then visit the following websites: drugabuse.gov (NIDA National Institute on Drug Abuse) and samhsa.gov (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) for a more “scientific” perspective regarding the effects of marijuana use on the brain and the body.

In the body of Measure 80, Mr. Stanford states that “the people of the state of Oregon find that cannabis hemp is an environmentally beneficial crop” and “the people find that federal and corporate misinformation campaigns economically benefit small groups of people who have suppressed information” and in Section 1 “this act is a scientific experiment by the people of Oregon.”

Really, now we are all scientists?

In one of my earlier articles I spoke about how our choice of words impacts the meaning of our message. In his Measure 80, Mr. Stanford refers to cannabis as “relatively” non-addictive, “comparatively” harmless, and as not constituting a public health problem of “any dimension”.

In the world of addiction, addictive is addictive, harmful is harmful, and a problem is a problem.

Having attended nursing school, I believe that a compromised immune system, reproductive irregularities, cognitive impairment, cancer, emphysema and COPD are health problems. Perhaps I have fallen victim to the federal and corporate propaganda that Mr. Stanford refers to throughout his measure.

To quote a familiar saying: “Bad things happen when good people do nothing.” Caring for our health and the health of our children is not just a matter of good stewardship but one of reverential piety.

Please take the time to read through Measure 80 and then visit the suggested websites.

Assuming an apathetic posture on your right to vote may imperil the rights of our children instead of as Mr. Sanford suggests, protect them.

Please become an informed parent when it comes to your kids and drugs, because when it comes to kids and drugs, the most dangerous thing we can do is nothing.

Mr. Stanford may not adopt a personal belief that marijuana is a “gateway drug,” but a high percentage of addicts and drug users will testify to the contrary. While performing your own due diligence on the health issues related to the consumption of marijuana, you may want to speak with some of our local school officials and classroom teachers on how students high on marijuana impact the learning environment of other students in the classroom while limiting their own ability to absorb and retain information.

Come November, you will decide whether marijuana is an environmentally friendly cash crop or whether it is an illegal drug that needs to remain classified as a controlled substance, medical or otherwise.

Please accept our invitation to attend our monthly DEFY (Drug Free Estacada Families and Youth) coalition meetings held each month on the third Tuesday from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Estacada Library in the Flora Room.

As one of 4,000 such organizations across the country, our organization is funded by a federal grant out of the White House for the purpose of reducing substance abuse among youth ages 11-18.

Our approach to achieving this goal is to address environmental issues, provide education, remove barriers to services and change community norms. We are represented by a number of individuals from our community and are proud of the many partnerships that we have formed including those with various agencies from the state of Oregon, Clackamas County, and a variety of mental health service providers and counselors in our area.

For more information, contact DEFY Director Susie Tracy at 503-201-2981 or Project Coordinator Sonja McCarty at 503-201-4981.

Susie Tracy is the Director of DEFY (Drug Free Estacada Families and Youth).