To the Editor:

I’m a resident of Washington, and have practiced psychiatry in both Oregon and North Carolina, states at opposite ends of the cannabis spectrum. I’ve not noticed a huge difference in the numbers of patients whose drug tests are positive for marijuana in the two, the main difference being those in NC must use surreptitiously and risk legal repercussions. But unlike the proverbial kid in the candy shop, Oregon is not producing hoards of addled drug fiends from what I’ve seen; many there use marijuana, some abuse, but most don’t, the same that can be said for booze and cigarettes. If we’ve collectively learned anything from the Volstead Act, when such behavior is widespread, better to regulate and tax than drive it further underground.

 

John S. Carbone

MD, JD, FCLM

Washington