High Hopes in
America by Donna McCarthy
It’s 1978; Cheap Trick’s “Heaven Tonight” album is playing on the stereo.
The 20 something year olds are smoking
or toking, as they called it, a joint and drinking their beers. The cloud of smoke hovers over the oblong
dining room table as the party gets well on its way. The 12 year old girl in the front room is
watching as they continue passing the joint around the table. She is scared. The once sober big sister, brother in-law and
friends are now acting different and it’s making her nervous. She turns back to the music and zones out
trying to escape the uncontrollable giggling as she knows what her big sister
is doing and she knows it is illegal.
Fast forward 36 years, marijuana is now legal in Washington and
Colorado and in 20 states, medical marijuana is legal. Many more states are
waiting to follow pursuit. In these two
states there’s no need to feel like you’re breaking the law as you light up a
joint but there are some restrictions that you must follow. To purchase an
ounce of cannabis from specially-regulated retail stores you must be 21 years
of age. Adults will be able to use it
anywhere, except in public places, like on the streets, in public parks or
outside personal property. Don’t get
caught driving while high because it is illegal and can result in a DUI. It
will cost you an estimated $467 per ounce in Washington and in Colorado $137
per ounce. The revenue generated from
taxing the marijuana will go to public schools in both states.
There are some positive things about legalizing marijuana but then
there is a down side too. Picture this,
the so-called “All-American” families hanging out in their homes, the kids are on
their electronic devices while Ma and Pa are lighting up a big fat joint. Yes,
parents drink alcohol around their kids all the time but there is no smoke fumes
from alcohol. It may be difficult
according to some studies, but is possible to get high off of second hand
marijuana smoke.
Speaking of the children, even though you have to be 21 years of age
to purchase and smoke marijuana, it will be more accessible for children to get
a hold of it and start using it. According to the US Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “A new federal report released today
concludes the younger children are when they first use marijuana, the more
likely they are to use cocaine and heroin and become dependent on drugs as
adults.” There is argument that children
will smoke it no matter if it’s illegal or legal.
President Obama admits to smoking it as a kid but says it’s a bad
habit and compares it to cigarette smoking. "It's not something I
encourage, and I've told my daughters I think it's a bad idea, a waste of time,
not very healthy," he told the New Yorker Magazine in an interview.
How will the criminal justice system differ? Officer Joe Land of the Chicago Police
Department said “I have seen many under the influence of marijuana. Most have
been very mellow and laid back, BUT, I have also seen many under the influence
of marijuana mixed with alcohol or some other drug, that were extremely violent
and out of control. I don't think I would
be busier if people had access to marijuana. I just think, as I stated above,
that enforcement of laws would change, and crimes would differ as in more DUIs.”
This topic is such a sensitive one for many people. As for the scared 12 year old girl in the the
beginning of the story, her sister divorced the brother in-law after he became
addicted to marijuana and alcohol and as time went on she watched some of her
own friends go from pot smoking to cocaine to their caskets.
One afternoon, while having a conversation with a co-worker on the
“legalization of marijuana” topic, he quoted, “Maybe the government wants
everyone stoned so they can easily manipulate the public.” I had to laugh but
it could be something to think about!
With seemingly never-ending arctic
blasts freezing the area this winter, it feels like we may never see the end of
these frigid temperatures and snow. Chicago has been hit hard with a steady
supply of snowfall and below zero temps, but what’s going on with the rest of
the country and world?
“The snow and cold has been really
tough to deal with this year--more than I remember from other years,” said
Matthew Barnes of Rolling Meadows.
And our near record-breaking low
temperatures and high snowfalls confirm that. With 58.6 inches of snow recorded
in Chicago so far, this winter is ranking in the top five for heaviest snow
records. Chicago’s record was in 1978-79 when we endured 80.6 inches of snow.
“I remember all that snow in the ‘70s
too, but I was younger then, it was fun!” said Barnes. “I don’t have the energy
to the winter like I did then. Now I have to shovel my driveway instead.”
And in spite of this doozy of a
winter, our world is actually still a victim of climate change--an overall
warming trend. Scientific facts point to our average global warmth continuing
to rise, on average, decade after decade. Those average temperatures have risen
1.4 degrees Fahrenheit worldwide since 1880.
Perhaps our perception of what
winter should be has been changing too. If every year our winters have been, on
average, warmer than the last, when we get an uncharacteristically cold and
snowy season it’s easy for it to feel even worse than it would have in decades
prior. Thanks to our warming climate this extreme weather has felt even more
extreme.
So far this season Chicago has had
20 days measuring below zero. The record for below zero days was in 1884-85
when the area suffered through 25 days of frigid temperatures. Will we break
this record as the tease of above-freezing temperature dances in front of us?
And while this winter might seem
extreme only here, when we look across the country we see that things, on
average, are balancing out. While the Midwest and East have been hit with ice,
wind, and cold thanks to the jet stream (a “river” of air that determines our
weather), the West has been warm and dry while Alaska basks in record high
temperatures.
“I can’t wait for spring!” said
Tracy Sanders of Arlington Heights. “I will be able to plant in my garden. But
not too soon, I’m not getting my hopes up.”
There are a few scientific guesses
as to what’s been causing this seemingly odd winter across the country. One
idea is that a distant relative of El Nino, a “Pacific Decadal Oscillation,” is
pushing the jet stream south while keeping the north Pacific warm. Another
theory is that weather is just plain random, and we are experiencing an extreme
end of that variability.
And around the world, Australia,
Greenland, and some of South America have been experiencing warmer than average
weather, while Europe has been struck with a winter similar to ours here in
Chicago too.
“I just want to see the grass
again,” said Sanders.
And that might just be a
possibility soon. Forecasts looking into next week and beyond are predicting a
significant warm up, with predicted high temperatures surpassing our average
highs for the area. While we won’t be seeing green grass and flowers blossoming
just yet, Chicagoans are unlikely to be complaining about the upcoming thaw.
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