Joel Stein doesn't quite get stoned

I love Joel Stein, the most laid-back columnist writing for a large newspaper in America. The one columnist who writes as little as possible about the election. His column today gives new meaning to the term "alternatively focused." Exploring the boundaries between the law and mind-altering substances, he spends some time trying to find out how easy it would be to score some medical marijuana. Someone points him in the direction of a medical office a few steps away from a pot dispensary. This works for him. The man who would write every column from the beach if he could appreciates the relaxed, but focused, approach to life in this crowd: "Stoners are very clearheaded when it comes to avoiding extra effort."

Not surprisingly, he has very little trouble, either at the doctor's office or the pot dispensary. To confirm that his is not an unusual experience, he called a guy named Doug Benson, who was High Times magazine's 2006 "Stoner of the Year." I'm fairly sure I don't want to know what the qualifications are for winning that award. Benson buys all his pot from a pot dispensary. He doesn't even mind paying sales tax. Yes, that's right, the 2006 "Stoner of the Year" pays sales tax on his pot. He also prefers dispensaries because, apparently, they're more professional. They leave him alone, whereas "dealers like to hang out." So the Stoner of the Year is very focused on maximizing the productive use of his time. The man is a pro.

But there's a serious point at the end:

I always wondered what would happen if marijuana were legalized for anyone over 18. It seems it already has been, and nothing happened.

He doesn't mention the War on Drugs, but he doesn't have to. I don't smoke pot, and I don't approve it. But neither am I a big fan of throwing massive numbers of people in jail. I haven't followed the debate over medical marijuana or legalization very closely, but I'm sure there are those who think that medical pot is a sham, a legal way to circumvent drug laws. This column will provide them with ammunition. But it's also not even remotely surprising. Open up just about any alternative weekly in Los Angeles, and probably California, and you will see ads for medical marijuana.

But he's also pointing out something that is almost as obvious. Pot is easily available, and society has not collapsed. What he doesn't mention is that there are some people for whom medical marijuana is actually a medical necessity. Sometimes the best columns on politics are the ones that don't say anything about politicians.