I realize it was a rerun, but I saw The Colbert Report last night where Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, came on and argued for the legalization of marijuana. This is an issue I haven't tackled yet and since I know nothing about plugging any holes, I thought I would try my hand at this. Instead of going the usual route, I thought I would go with a couple of personal stories and the impact they have had on my beliefs.
When I was in high school, my chemistry lab partner introduced me to the effects of harder drugs. No, I never did them. I was a goody two shoes in high school (I know everyone is shocked) so no one tried to get me to do harder drugs. I think alcohol was the extent of my sensibilities. Well, he decided one day to purchase some pot from a local dealer. The dealer laced the pot with PCP without his knowledge. His hallucinations caused him to attempt (and partially succeed) in ripping his eyelids off. Needless to say, he missed several weeks of school recovering and when he came back you could tell that he could not quite close his eyes.
The implication is clear. A government regulated product not only allows the government to profit from said product, but it protects the public from bad product. When you remove the dealer from the equation you remove a great deal of violence, but you also remove a great deal of danger to the user. Of course, no one wants kids to use drugs in any circumstances, but like with alcohol, we have to acknowledge some foul play in the age regulation department. Do you want kids going to the local jackass or to the convienence store? It is scary if it is more plentiful, but the product would be diluted and more pure.
What is more scary for teachers is the increased use of prescription medication. Xanex was the drug of choice for a long time and kids found ways to maximize their effect. They called them "bars" and used orange juice to speed up their affects. I've sent more than one student to the office that has been under the influence. The lesson for me is that kids will get high no matter how hard you try. Most don't. You can play the Nancy Reagan "Just say No" game and convince most. Most is not all.
Like Gov. Johnson, I think honesty is the best approach you can have with kids. This is why I tell them these same stories. There are far more that I haven't said here that are far worse. Then, you have folks that use for years and don't seem to have any effect. It's really hard to say in the end. One thing I know for sure is that the criminalization of drugs hasn't really worked out just like prohibition didn't work out. It is our nature to try the forbidden fruit. I think a large part of that comes from our Puritan heritage as a nation. Pleasure is often wrong. Therefore, we secretly crave it.
Furthermore, the illegal nature of drugs has also created a built in excuse for criminals. Sure, I raped and kill that woman, but I was under the influence. Sure, I ran right through that red light and killed that child and mother, but I was under the influence. Well, too bad. When you commit bad acts you pay the price no matter what your state of mind. We cannot blame people's bad behavior on drugs. Yes, your judgment may be impaired, but that is part of the equation. Honesty is the best way to get through this. Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
I agree on the whole. Like Chris Rock said, "brown people would make money if they legalized pot". However, Phillip Morris owns the patent to the marijuana cigarette. And the U.S. government has been growing pot for decades. The pharma companies here in the states would put the drug cartels out of the pot business over night.
I it a cultural thing. Racist rightwing shit kickers drink beer. Peace loving hippies smoke pot. Weed makes you more apt to non-violence. The warmonger can't have that...
Scott,
I donated your book to my daughter's teacher's lounge. I walked into the office yesterday and told the unfamiliar lady at the counter I wanted to donate a book to them. She all at once had the 'deer in the headlight look', 'constipated look', and 'sexual flush' going. After a few seconds she turned to another lady and uttered a plaintive cry. The other lady told her that it was cool. I don't know if the first lady thought I was trying to smuggle some kiddie porn or what?!
Fantasy,
One of the longstanding arguments against legalization of marijuana is that the social effects of the legalization of alcohol have been devastating. I don't know...there are some complex sociological treatises regarding law and order relating to victimless crimes.
Shavedwombat,
It will make you terribly forgetful AND hungry, too!
You're so close. It has nothing to do with peace loving hippies. Follow the money. Where is most of our alcohol produced? Right here. Where is virtually all of our tobacco produced? Right here. Most illicit illegal drugs are produced elsewhere. You legalize it and you make other countries rich. Funny that I'm typing this while smoking a perfectly legal cigar. Wombat is right on when talking about mixed and false messages. Beer is okay and pot not. Cigarretes okay and pot not. It's all about the money. Phillip Morris and all the beer companies can buy all the legislators they need. I think the day will come. Drinking and smoking were once seen as immoral (read: I said nothing about unsafe) and that went away. Maybe if "Big Weed" advertised during MLB, NBA, and NFL games then maybe they'd have something.
Alcohol is legal... A far more intoxicating and deadlier substance.
Real problem? Marijuana makes you more likely to be a pacifist. Not something the warmongers who run this country want.
I've been in in recovery for a number of things, including alcohol, since May 4, 1983. I won't be toking but I absolutely support legalization of pot. Going after the user or even small time dealer is an incredible waste of law enforcement. Legalize it, regulate the quality, and tax it. Texas will be one of the last places to do that.
I see no reason that the illegal pharmaceutical market can't be partially controlled by statewide use of computers. If you pick up that second prescription of vicoden in one day or two days, you can't get any more under your ID for 2-3 weeks. Clinics like the Winrock Clinic mentioned in the Chronicle need to be audited and shut down.
We can't shut down the flow entirely, but our efforts would be better utilized shutting off the prescription stuff and harder narcotics than on pot.
honesty has got to be injected into this debate. What we need to do is put an end to the propaganda...because despite what carguy thinks, kids aren't as dumb as they seem. Many of them know when they're being lied to, and the whole "just say no" thing backfires...because if they were lied to about THIS drug, what other drugs were they lied to about?
Marijuana won't kill you(all things being equal), it's not physically habit-forming, and despite the assurances of "experts"...it's not a gateway drug. Legalize it and tax it....it's the only logical course
I have always been amazed and confused that people are willing to eat, snort, drink, smoke and inject into the veins something that have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what it is or where it came from. MY CAT HAS MORE BRAINS THAN THAT.
Now, fact being that many of our teenagers and young adults are NOT as smart as my cat, what do we do about it? It appears that our actions over the past 50 years have been, shall we say, unsuccessful.
What percentage of our social ills can we blame on drugs? 20%...30%....50%?????
I'm gonna be honest and tell you, I don't have an answer.