Joseph A. Califano does not like Austin on April 20th.

         Joseph A. Califano, founder of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, wrote an article in replay to Pat Robertson’s marijuana support declarations. Here is the link to article called ‘Why Pat Robertson’s pot plan is a (bong) pipe dream,’ published today by the Washington Post, provides data that supports the point of view of an individual in favor of the war on drugs. This article was written to target conservatives, and in my opinion is an example of how media does not tell you what to think, but what to think about.

Mr. Califano argues that some of the reasons behind Pat Robertson’s statements are shallow and lack real evidence and support. He focuses his article from the perspective that the US already has problems with the two legal drugs (alcohol and tobacco), which are taking a toll on teenagers, and how marijuana would have the same effect. To support the argument, Mr. Califano offers a series of links that redirect the reader to a series of research sources and statistics. Even when the author does a good job backing some of his statements, I think due to some flaws in the focus and support of the article thesis, Mr. Califano was not able to present a convincing argument.

First, I think the attitude he adopted towards the issue on drugs was very radical, which offers a narrow approach to the topic and made the author seem short-sighted. Second, he compares the social repercussions of alcohol and tobacco to those of marijuana without mentioning that alcohol and tobacco may be legal, but much more dangerous for users’ health. Third, some of the information offered in the article is misleading. For example, Mr. Califano says that ‘Forty-six percent (6.1 million) of all high school students currently use addictive substances,’ which makes the reader think that marijuana is at the same level of other more dangerous drugs. When I read the full link he offered, I found that only 3.6 million students have tried marijuana, a statistic that includes addicts and one-time users whereas over twice as many students have tried alcohol. Fourth, Mr. Califano backs up some statements with predictions rather than facts. For example, he mentions that the world of illegal drugs like marijuana is violent, and how legalizing it will increase this violence. This particular statement makes me think about ‘prohibition’ and the intense gang violence that accompanied the dry period, while today alcohol is legal and regulated, and there is no violence related to its sale and distribution. Fifth and last, Mr. Califano alludes to the idea that legalizing marijuana will not imply some regulations; it seems like he thinks marijuana is going to be sold to everyone and everywhere like candy!

When I first read the article, I thought that Joseph A. Califano had some good points, but after reading the links offered and analyzing his statements I realized his argument was lacking in solid support. The overall impression I got from the article is that Mr. Califano wants the reader to envision marijuana decriminalization as chaos, and to not see marijuana as a drug with potential health benefits that is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.