Annapolis, Maryland family law attorneys will tell you that whether drug addiction is grounds for divorce remains to be seen and decided. Consequently, who knows if marijuana use would be treated differently from the abuse of other drugs.
What surprised almost everyone, however, was Annapolis Police Chief Michael Pristoop’s testimony at the Maryland General Assembly. The General Assembly was having hearings on legislation to legalize or decriminalize marijuana.
The Chief testified against the bill, saying that there had been 37 deaths from marijuana overdoses in Colorado since pot was legalized this year. The source of his information was a satirical publication and, of course, the story was a satire and untrue. The testimony was so preposterous, it apparently went viral. (It is generally accepted in the scientific community that one cannot overdose on marijuana.)
Put aside the question of whether pot should be legalized, shouldn’t the chief law enforcement officer of Annapolis Maryland know the law he is enforcing and the effect of the illegal drugs? Marijuana is not an opiate. It is an herb. Many would say marijuana is a mellow herb. The “anti-marijuana” focus over the years has been that it is a gateway drug, not that it results in violence or drug overdoses. There are legitimate disagreements that should be discussed in the decision about whether to legalize pot. But let’s properly identify the legitimate disagreements before we talk about them.
The same should apply to whether drug addiction is grounds for divorce in Maryland. There are legitimate discussions to be had about this and one is whether marijuana should be treated differently than other illegal drug use.
