Former Texas Governor Rick Perry is correct–if you want to consume medical marijuana, you should be able to do so. The word “somewhere” gives a nod to the somewhat common notion that marijuana decisions should be made on the state level. We don’t disagree, and in fact wrote previously on how cannabis in the United States has been a state-by-state experiment.
However, where Governor Perry misses the mark is when he says “go somewhere.” We are past the point where anyone should have to move or travel to obtain cannabis, especially (but not exclusively) if that cannabis will be used as medicine. Yet that is exactly the situation we’re in. Only twenty five states have legalized medicinal marijuana and far fewer have legalized it for recreational use.
There are heavy costs associated with having to travel to another state to obtain cannabis for medicine. Even if one can afford those costs, it isn’t a simple process to obtain medical marijuana in another state or the state in which one resides. Medical cannabis requires a doctor’s authorization, and in many cases, there are certain requirements that go along with a doctor’s ability to even authorize medical marijuana for a patient. There are also heavy costs for those imprisoned for consuming what is illegal in one state yet legal in another.
These inequitable costs and obstacles are just another reason why we need to attain national legalization. It’s high time we legalize everywhere, for everyone.
