Israel's justice minister recently informed the country that there was "news" – the drug marijuana would be legalized.
This is definitely "news" for many good people in Israel. It's also news for the eight double-morbidity units in the psychiatric hospitals run by the Health Ministry that are collapsing under the unusual burden of patients with mental health disorders (psychosis, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, paranoia, etc.) resulting from drug addiction, most of whom – over 3,000 (!) in 2019 alone – are victims of the drug marijuana, whether they used it on its own or in combination with other drugs.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
This is "news" for dozens of treatment frameworks for drug addicts without mental health disorders run by the Labor and Welfare Ministry, which treated more than 4,000 marijuana addicts in 2018 alone and comprise the vast majority of the addicts these services treat – more than alcohol, which is much more widespread, and addiction to all other drugs (except alcohol) combined.
This is also "news" for the Transportation Ministry, as we can expect an uptick in driving under the influence, more car accident victims like the Atar family, eight members of which were killed in a horrific accident on Highway 90 two years ago when a driver under the influence of drugs tried to overtake.
This is "news" for the health care system as a whole, which has been "poisoned" by under-budgeting for years now, and can now expect to see more heart disease, strokes, respiratory illnesses, vascular disease, and possibly types of cancer.
This is "news" for the IDF, which is already dealing with a marijuana plague that's spreading among its ranks and could find itself in the not-too-distant future fighting on both the northern and southern fronts with soldiers, commanders, and pilots under the influence of drugs.
Above all, this is news for those of us who are parents, especially parents of teenagers, whose children could grow up in a society in which a psychoactive, addictive drug that causes thousands of people to become mentally ill each year, is suddenly legitimized for use and is available everywhere.
Will "education and outreach to youth," as the justice minister put it, convince them to avoid using a legitimate drug that is commonly used (after legalization) by the adults who set an example for them? The answer is clear. Aside from that, we should all try to examine who stands to make millions off selling the drug, and if there are outside interests involved in the considerations of the ignorant politicians who are pushing for this "news."
However, it's still not too late. Our elected officials can and must wake up and stop the damage that will certainly be incurred by our children and ourselves, because we don't need "news" like this in Israel.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
