CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state House of Delegates Health Committee chairman isn’t buying the notion that legalizing marijuana could solve West Virginia’s budget woes.
Del. Mike Pushkin (D-Kanawha) introduced a bill two weeks ago that would decriminalize and permit personal use, growth and possession of certain amounts of marijuana by persons over the age of 21. But Del. Joe Ellington (R-Mercer), a medical doctor, spoke against the measure on the House floor last week.
“I personally believe that there may be some benefits to certain components of marijuana that may help patients with cancers, chronic conditions, seizure disorders among others. I’m not opposed to exploring these options,” he said. “Many supporters of legalizing marijuana use the medical indication to justify recreational use.”
Recreational weed is not a cure-all, it remains illegal on a federal level and it’s hurting America’s youth, Ellington said.
“The greatest generation of Americans is currently fading away, and along with that, our values they held, such as their work ethic, their respect for individuals and other property, patriotism; duty to their country, state and community,” Ellington said.
Ellington further pointed out that, given West Virginia’s drug epidemic, there’s no reason to legalize a drug for the purpose of raising revenue.
“Believe it or not, marijuana is a gateway drug to other substance abuse,” he maintained. “Many deny that, but it has been well documented and studied. If we legalize recreational use and run it like a business, the general public will have a false sense of safety in its use.”
Pushkin previously said that although his bill had a lot of support on social media, it was triple referenced and he didn’t have expectations that it would be discussed as a serious revenue option this year.
Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Alaska and Washington, D.C. have recently legalized marijuana for recreational use.
Twelve states have both medical marijuana and decriminalization laws. Ten states, Guam, and Puerto Rico have only legalized medical marijuana.