Drug Legalization: 'WEED' ing Out the Myths

Mr. Hines
How many of you reading this know someone addicted to drugs? How many of you have family members, friends, or loved ones that have lost everything, and are now a mere shell of the person they once were because of their addiction? How many of you reading this have your own addiction problem? How many of you have suffered loss as a result of the abuse of drugs?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, I have one final question for you. How will legalizing drugs change any of your answers? Like the effects of alcohol, nicotine, or prescription drug abuse, legal substances, the results on the body, mind, and spirit will remain constant. Does the argument that the "possession and/ or subsequent distribution or use of drugs is a 'victimless' crime" seek to validate what I see as an absolutely absurd notion? Perhaps peeling just one layer off of this rank onion is all that is needed to expose this fallacy.

After doing a bit of research, I've narrowed the drug legalization proponent's platform down to its basic elements. Legalization proponents are split into 2 branches. Those that are in favor of only legalizing marijuana, and those that desire that all drugs be made legal. The premise of both is that crime resulting from drugs being illegal would all but disappear. (I will point out that those that are in favor of only legalizing marijuana seem to harbor a disdain for other 'harder' drugs, and therein exists a split even within the movement.) I have to agree. If drugs are made legal, then quite naturally, those that possess, distribute, manufacture, and use drugs would no longer be guilty of committing crimes, which would in itself instantly eradicate a huge percentage of the overall number of crimes prosecuted in this country.

I suppose if murder was decriminalized, the volume of people being convicted of killing other people would be diminished to none. With the murder rate on the rise in this country, let's make it legal. Problem solved! What about sexual assaults? Make rape legal and let's watch the statistics drop...

Proponents further argue that related crimes would disappear. For instance, violent crime that results from waring drug peddlers at every level, in addition to users that commit crimes to obtain drugs. WHAT?! Let's get real. The nature of the drug world, much like the nature of the pornography world, is dark. Many people around drugs, no matter their role, eventually use and abuse drugs. The resulting behavior is a manifestation of the effect of drugs on the mind and psyche. Irrational, violent, uncommon behavior is par for the course even in the best of situations. Simply put, a millionaire might pull out a gun and shoot 10 people and himself, not because he was desperate to support his high, but because he wasted on coke!

Moreover, the assumption that the price of illicit narcotics would drop drastically, thus putting pushers and suppliers out of business is lofty at best. If that were to occur, then what would these folks do? Concede and go get jobs? Maybe work in the new government subsidised legal drug industry? Preposterous!

Aside from the hollowness of almost any argument given to legalize drugs, I think the best example why illicit drugs shouldn't be legalized lay in the fact that nicotine and alcohol are legal. Alcohol especially. It's legal to produce, consume, and distribute alcohol. It ranks as one of the biggest killers, from the effects it has on the body, to the numerous drunk driver caused accidents on our highways. Even though it is legal, the number of arrests directly attributable to alcohol is staggering.

In America, we pride ourselves on the upholding of principle, justice, and goodwill to each other, as outlined in the Constitution. With the inherent effect of drugs undeniable on society as a whole, it is our collective duty to unite against such an adversary. The war on drugs must continue, but perhaps with a new and improved battle plan.

For anyone who thinks different I have only one question...are you on drugs?!

Miss Mya
Me? On drugs? Ha, now that’s preposterous, a good girl like me? Never that…however, I’m pretty sure I know someone addicted to drugs and/or lost everything because of them. Me personally, I have not dealt with it but like I said, a few people pop into my head that have suffered a loss related to or as a result of abusing drugs. With that said, will keeping marijuana illegal keep help drug abusers see the “light” turning away from their wicked ways? Seems like it should be a personal choice, not a government choice by evaluating who is affected. What is very interesting is that three (3) of the United States founding fathers cultivated marijuana themselves (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin). Guess Former President Bill Clinton wasn’t the only one to “inhale”.

Just so we’re clear, I’m in the “legalizing marijuana only” camp. Why? Oh, I’m so glad you asked! How can something from the earth, which was created by God and put into the hands of man to take care and subdue, be illegal? There are so many things created by God that are abused and misused that ARE NOT illegal, why then is marijuana (we should be seriously considering how to properly use what God has put in our care)? This is the only “drug” I can think of right at this moment that is produced from the earth, so it has a purpose and place for us, as human beings to utilize it in the fashion it was created for: medicinal, aroma therapy, cooking purposes, etc.

Between the humble beginnings of this country and around the turn of 20th century there were NO regulations on cannabis, Indian hemp, also known as marijuana. What do you think caused shift to regulate this plant? In early 1930’s, Harry J. Anslinger, the head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics “claimed cannabis caused people to commit violent crimes, act irrational, and act overly sexual. The FBN produced propaganda films promoting Anslinger's views and Anslinger often commented to the press regarding his views on cannabis.” The Geneva Narcotic Limitation Convention was promoted as a deterrent and restrictive measure to curtail importing and exporting drugs, later including in the treaty “cultivation, production, manufacture and distribution – related to the use of opium, coca (and its derivatives) and cannabis for non-medical and non-scientific purposes.” So basically some guy said it was bad, and it is so! Wow…

The studies are still fairly new in relation to the harmful effects associated with the consumption of marijuana. I completely understand not wanting to poison our children and cause long term health problems. However, what is the difference between tobacco and weed? I’m wondering why tobacco was never considered to be a threat. Was it ever regulated in the history of this country? Capitalist based economy = cash crop! Only thing I can fathom is that tobacco was a major cash crop for the United States and the country could not afford to regulate it in the same manner as they did marijuana. Marijuana and tobacco have similar if not the same health problems; they’re ingested in the same manner. Furthermore, marijuana is not as addicting as the nicotine ingredient found in tobacco. My point is the importance of consistency: one is legal and one is not yet they both have similar if not the same effects on the community and the body. Help me understand….it’s same with alcohol, which was actually illegal at one time and now has a rampant effect on this country as whole. Has anyone ever heard of Mothers Against Weed Smokers (MAWS)? I personally don’t hear of any deaths occurring as a result of being under the influence of marijuana, not saying it doesn’t happen, I just haven’t heard of it….

God was not inconsistent with the laws he gave to Israel. He did not waver or move as time progressed; new technology came into existence or as we became more sophisticated as a people. God is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. The same laws He established and required of the Israelites are the same rules utilized by Jewish people now, same rules. It would seem as though the United States would not have to waver back & forth with the wind on laws, especially not if you are establishing the laws with God’s will and desire in mind…

Taking it a step further, we’ll accept and promote prescription drugs that have who-knows-what-in-it, side effects that could kill you, with little to no relief of the original ailment and still say no to marijuana! Since there are no long term studies available as of yet on the harmful effects marijuana can have on the body, it’s still hard to say definitively that legalization on this drug is the way to go. However, I am leaning extremely close to legalizing the drug. From an economic standpoint and a legal standpoint, legalizing marijuana seems to be in the best interest of the country and its constituents.

Thinking about it from an economic standpoint, not only would the legal sale of marijuana generate revenue from taxes imposed on each sale that could be used toward education, health reform, feeding the homeless but there would be money saved from less policing and prosecuting sale, possession and consummation activities.

The legal pros, well my partner Mr. Hines has already outlined which I completely agree with, crime would decrease…case closed! Let’s not go overboard though, I mean really, legalizing rape & murder? Who’s smoking now, and what the heck is it!?!?!?!?