A response about stem cells and legalization of marijuana

My Bro-in-law asked some questions on my wife's blog the other day. I'm going to try to answer some of these bit by bit as I have time.

Stem cell research is a hot button for sure. What about unused in vitro embryos? A great many would be destroyed anyway. Is that destruction as abhorrent to you as stem cell research? I'm kind of agnostic on the stem cell issue, so I'm not baiting you here, just curious (this goes for you, too, Jeff).

As a first point as I have learned more about in vitro the more I am against it. Simply because of the reason you state. Although, the extra embryos don't have to be discarded. There have been successful adoptions of the "snowflake babies." I feel that it is under utilized. I feel for people that want a baby, but I would much rather see children adopted than the use of in vitro. I put my feelings out about the stem cell issue in a previous post.

Next he asks,

"Also, you reference statistics that indicate increases in violent crime being linked to medicinal marijuana legalization. This doesn't jive with my experiences living in one of the states that passed medicinal marijuana laws. I'd love to read your source, if you've got it handy."

To be up front about the vote, I voted for the medical marijuana prop. One of the local politicians who was against it said that we can't keep other drugs from being abused so we shouldn't do it with this. I think that's an awful answer. With that logic, we should get rid of most of our prescription drugs.

Mary said that she had a big post in response, but the post was lost in the transfer. She got her statistics the Michigan Family forum voter's guide. I had to dig out the cached version to find the pdf. I have to say that one point is from anecdotal evidence. Which is that it leads to more crime. I saw an article from the LA Times prior to the election that would imply that, part of which was letting people grow their own, and when word gets out then people begin breaking into homes looking for it. To me that is anecdotal evidence, if the state regulates it strictly, then you just have to worry about prescription abuse. Here is one quote from the forum about "pot shops" in malls:

Proposal 1 allows one person to grow and provide marijuana for people “in an enclosed, locked facility.” Pot shops in strip malls are a reality in California and a dangerous possibility in Michigan under Proposal 1. There are more than 400 pot shops in Los Angeles. Where located, information shows a rise in serious crimes such as robberies, burglaries and aggravated assaults has followed.

That will have to be monitored and regulated by the legislature or by proposition. They were a little low on siting statistics to research, so I can't vouch for the veracity of them.

But like I said, I voted for it, on the grounds that if it is a drug that helps and it can be regulated, then there shouldn't be a block on the medicinal use.

I'll try to do some more tomorrow. I have a couple more days off coming up.

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