Senate debate: ‘It’s not something that’s safe for our youth or adults’

In the Senate debate on SCR 112, the anti-marijuana resolution:

Sen. Branden Durst, D-Boise, said this is an issue with a generational divide, and his generation backs loosening laws against marijuana. “Is this the right fight to pick?” he asked. Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, questioned how a war on drugs relates to the proper role of government. Sen. Elliot Werk, D-Boise, said, “WE have a kind of an ax kind of approach here, when we could have a more surgical approach.”

Sen. Jim Rice, R-Caldwell, said, “Suddenly we’re supposed to say, well, everybody’s doing it so it must be OK, and we’re supposed to ignore some of the other problems, like increased mental illness problems, both temporary and long-term. We’re supposed to ignore studies that show that it increases the risk of cancer. … It’s a problem. It’s not something that’s safe for our youth or adults.”