I haven't had a legitimate reason to post in the past few days because the start of the baseball season diverted my attention away from politics. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Following politics can be draining, especially when you hear the same thing over... and over... and over again. In fact, I don't miss it. Not to say I won't be following it, but you might notice a decline in the frequency of my posts.
Since I have nothing better to do while I wait for the laundry to finish, I find this to be a great opportunity to discuss my current dissertation on the legalization of marijuana. This paper is due two weeks from tomorrow (Sunday) and is required to be eight to ten pages in length. Luckily, I have enough material to make a healthy case for it.
First off, I would like to squash the rumors that marijuana is NOT a gateway drug. Yes, people that have used harder drugs also smoked marijuana in the past, but they did not do these drugs because of marijuana. This is just a fallacy intended to maintain support for the government's unwinnable "war on drugs".
While it's on my mind, allow me to explain my opposition to the war on drugs. Having been a staunch supporter of it, I now oppose it on the grounds that the government is actually exercising a type of prohibition. Sure, they tell you that the war on drugs is intended to keep unhealthy and deadly drugs out of the hands of our kids. But studies have shown that more adults smoke weed than minors. Also, marijuana use by minors has significantly decreased since the 1970's due to an anti-marijuana awareness campaign, not the war on drugs.
So, like I stated above, the war on drugs is actually a form of prohibition -- one that costs billions of dollars a year to maintain. This is not only wasteful spending, but unintelligent as well. I mean, why spend billions to stop marijuana from flowing in and out of this country when 11 states have already legalized medicinal marijuana? The "medicinal" marijuana is pretty easy to get, too. Moving on. Look what happened with the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920's. The intent was to restore the morality of society by trying to rid it of crime, corruption, lower taxes needed to support prisons and poorhouses, and to improve general health. Instead they got MORE crime (organized crime) and corruption, MORE taxes need to support prisons and poor houses, and the alcohol that was distributed was improperly brewed and contained dangerous chemical additives.
When we keep harmless substances, like marijuana, illegal, we're helping the drug cartels build their bank account. The modern-day drug cartels are similar to the organized crime syndicates of the 1920s. They are illegally distributing marijuana for profit. Also, the marijuana that is distributed is also improperly grown and enhanced using chemicals that are extremely unhealthy to the body, much like the beer brewed in the 1920s. Although re-legalizing alcohol didn't eradicate organized crime, the bootlegging business was finished. The same applies to marijuana and the drug cartels. If we legalize it, the smuggling of marijuana into our country will end, which then allows our government to focus on more harmful substances like cocaine and heroine.
Legalization also saves our government billions of dollars in taxpayer money in the prison industry. All of those who were convicted and are sitting in prison for simple possession charges will now be released. Taxpayer money will not be wasted housing and feeding these "criminals", although smoking marijuana is a victimless crime.
I've had others argue against legalization. I've been told that many individuals "will be driving around high all the time." Ha! People drive around drunk... what's the difference? And alcohol is legal! So are cigarettes, which bar warnings on their packs explaining the dangers of tobacco use. And that's what confuses me about the whole thing. Cigarettes, which contain rat poison and tar, are legal, yet marijuana -- which is unhealthy because of benevolent drug lords -- is not. If our government could regulate the growing of marijuana to ensure harmful chemicals aren't entering the body of its users, then legalizing it would make sense. Additionally, our government could also rake in extra revenue from marijuana sales. Cut billions of dollars of waste from the budget; bring billions in. It's a win-win.
If you still don't agree, then allow me to persuade you just once more. Alcohol and cigarettes are legal. If you don't drink, you don't buy alcohol, correct? If you don't smoke, you don't buy cigarettes, correct? Well, that's the beauty about it: no one is forcing you to. Marijuana can be legal but it doesn't mean you have to smoke it. And just to be sure that our children aren't exposed to it, ban it from public places, or designate special "cafes" allowed for adults 18 years or older.
All this fuss about a "dangerous drug" like marijuana being legalized is not a big deal, since we already have "drugs" like alcohol and cigarettes, both of which cause can cause a physical dependence. Marijuana is psychological and much, much easier to quit.
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