The state of California is broke.  Medical marijuana is already legal with a doctor’s prescription in that state, but now there’s talk of taking it a step further.  Under current consideration is a plan to legalize – and tax the sale of – marijuana as a means of generating income for the state.

Federal law classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, meaning that it has a high potential for abuse, no medically accepted uses in the United States, and no controlled safety studies.  Possession of any scheduled drug without a prescription is illegal, and drugs with no accepted medical uses cannot generally be prescribed.

Anecdotal accounts and some limited studies suggest that marijuana does have the potential to be medically beneficial to certain patients.  It is said to reduce pressure in the eyes of persons suffering from glaucoma, and provide relief from nausea, loss of appetite, and pain of cancer patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy.

Ten states – including California, Colorado, and Nevada – have enacted legislation specifically allowing medical use of marijuana.  Laws vary, but generally provide for a specified amounts of marijuana that may be possessed or grown by the patient or primary caregiver with a doctor’s authorized prescription.

Some groups would like to go a step further, and decriminalize marijuana use and possession completely.  The argument is that marijuana use is no more dangerous than smoking cigarettes, and causes no greater impairment than drinking alcohol – both of which are legal activities for adults.

On the other side of the coin are those who question the logic of legalizing any recreational drug.  They point to concerns of persons driving while under the influence of marijuana – which cannot be field-tested as quickly and reliably as alcohol impairment.  Another concern is the unknown long-term effects of use and/or exposure.

The government is challenged with balancing personal liberties against the need to protect public safety.

Should the federal government legalize marijuana (and would you smoke it if they did) ?