The Mesquite Online News - Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Marijuana Forum Overview

Robert Ashford, Eagle Peer Recovery president; Jennifer Sharpe Potter, assistant dean of UT Health Science Center; Rob Kampia, executive director for Marijuana Policy Project; and Psychiatrist Bud Holcomb answer questions regarding the legalization of marijuana in Texas during a town hall meeting March 6 at Texas A&M-San Antonio Brooks City-Base Campus. Photo by Christina Quintanilla
Robert Ashford, Eagle Peer Recovery president; Jennifer Sharpe Potter, assistant dean of UT Health Science Center; Rob Kampia, executive director for Marijuana Policy Project; and Psychiatrist Bud Holcomb answer questions regarding the legalization of marijuana in Texas during a town hall meeting March 6 at Texas A&M-San Antonio Brooks City-Base Campus. Photo by Christina Quintanilla

By Lorie Hidalgo

On March 6, an estimated 400 people attended a town hall forum to debate the legalization of marijuana in Texas. The forum took place in the large auditorium of the Brooks City-Base Campus.

Local citizens shared their views on the issue and directed questions to a panel of professionals.

Two classrooms provided by the university projected the live forum stream to overflow audiences, which were set up after the auditorium reached its 200 person capacity. Communication specialist Jillian Reddish said prior to the forum that the university was not sponsoring or hosting the event but assisted WOAI with technological needs and “providing a venue for the free discussion of ideas.”

Viewers who could not attend watched the webstream of the forum and submitted questions and comments on Twitter and Facebook.

Mark Hyman moderated the forum, one of a series of forums News 4 WOAI refers to as Town Hall meetings, which cover controversial issues and allow for the public to publicly voice their opinions.

Pro-legalization panelists present at the forum included Dr. William Holcomb Jr., Austin drug addiction psychiatrist, and Rob Kampia, co-founder of and executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project.

Anti-legalization panelists who attended the forum included Dr. Jennifer Sharpe Potter, assistant dean for research and student programs at the University of Texas Health and Science Center, and Robert Ashford, president of the Eagle Peer Recovery collegiate program at the University of North Texas.

Guests varied in age, including late teens to early 30s in favor of legalization, while those against ranged from 40 to 80 years old.

Here’s an overview of audience questions and panelists’ answers:

The panel made an effort to address keynotes of the forum including:

  • Is marijuana going to be legalized for medicinal purposes or for recreational use?

The forum did not clearly state whether the narcotic being discussed was being legalized for the intent of recreational use or for medicinal purposes.

  • What are the benefits of medicinal marijuana?

In recent studies, some cancer patients have found the use of marijuana to help ease their pain and in other medical conditions including glaucoma patients saw an improvement in their health.

  • Are there competitive reasons why marijuana is not legalized?

Those who attended the forum felt strongly that the prescription drug companies are against the legalization of the narcotic because it would take business away from them and insurance companies.

  • What are the financial benefits for the state in regards of legalizing marijuana use?

According to the panelists for the legalization of marijuana, those states can increase in revenue for both cultivating and selling the narcotic. They referred back to the increase in revenue based off what has taken place in Colorado.

  • Will marijuana be regulated? If so, how?

Regulation will vary depending on whether the narcotic is legalized for medicinal purposes or recreational use.

  • Can a consumer of marijuana become addicted? If so, are the addiction treatments available for those who refrain from use?

According to Potter, addiction is possible for those who use marijuana, but because of a lack of research, there is a risk of not having the correct addiction treatment available. This causes a great amount of strife for those individuals struggling with addiction and with their families.

  • If marijuana is legalized, what are some of the future progressions we can see on taxation and how would it work?

Just as with tobacco and alcohol, the general population can expect to see taxation on the narcotic if it is legalized for recreational use. Yet, the situation is probable to be different if the narcotic is legalized for medicinal use.

  • How will synthetic marijuana affect a person?

In spite of recent situations, some states have now banned the use of synthetic marijuana. However, many young adults continue to use the product although it is illegal in most states, including Texas because of the health risks such as damage to the brain. In recent news, there have been incarcerations because of the distribution of synthetic marijuana in San Antonio.

  • How will crime be affected in the case of marijuana being legalized?

According to the panelists for the legalization of marijuana, crime rates will decrease because instead of having money and attention put on stopping the use of the narcotic, this money can be put into addressing more important issues like burglary and arson. This will also save the general public more money on taxation that houses criminals in the jail for charges of possession with the narcotic. Those against the legalization of marijuana felt that the crime rates can only increase because those who are intoxicated will lack in judgement and commit crimes, that otherwise could have been avoided.

  • How does the legalization of marijuana affect those who are non-users?

The effect can be a positive one, according to those in favor. Money can be saved on particular taxes for jails and crimes such as burglary, can be addressed properly.

  • Is the legalization of marijuana a way of trading one poison for another?

Those against the legalization of the narcotic felt that trading the drug dealer on the corner for now a product administered and provided by the state, is simply trading one poison for another.

While those in favor of legalizing marijuana were applauded and allowed to speak freely, those opposed faced outburst from guests and even silenced with heckling that was present.

Potter and Ashford stood strongly by their position against the legalization of marijuana because, from their understanding, no adequate decision can be made unless the appropriate research has been conducted to study both the negative and positive aspects of the narcotic.

Those against legalization agree, while those in favor of the legalization feel there are no health risks, only improvement.

A concern among the panelists against legalization is that appropriate treatment programs are not available to those who become addicted to the narcotic. Another primary concern is the functionality of the individual who is consuming the narcotic, and how their life will improve or worsen from the use.

As of now, there are no known dates for future meetings regarding the legalization of marijuana.

Texas is a legislative state, which means state legislators must take the issue to high powers to have issues brought to the attention of others. This means that to make changes, a sufficient amount of votes must be obtained and then later taken to the state representatives.

More information about the legalization of marijuana in Texas and other information on this topic can be found at the Marijuana Policy Project website.

About the Author

Lorie Hidalgo
Lorie Hidalgo is a culture and sports writer for The Mesquite. She is a communications major with a passion for sports writing. Lorie attended both Northwest Vista and Palo Alto colleges. When attending Palo Alto, she was a writer for The Pulse, the online student newspaper. She received an A.A in New Media Communications from Northwest Vista in May 2013.

Join the Conversation

© 2024 Jaguar Student Media | Texas A&M University-San Antonio. All Rights Reserved. All Rights Reserved.
San Antonio Website Design & Development - Backyard Studios
Join Our Newsletter

Get the Mesquite News delivered straight to you.