cannabisnews.com: Drugs Really Aren't So Bad...mmm'kay





Drugs Really Aren't So Bad...mmm'kay
Posted by FoM on September 02, 1999 at 17:38:58 PT
By Ryan Sniatecki
Source: U-Wire
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Drugs...drugs are bad, mmm'kay? All along the watchtower, the Drug Czar keeps the view. What he can't see, however, is that America's criminalization of marijuana is a bunch of hokum. 
For decades, the United States government has justified this policy with a claim that Mary Jane is a "gateway" drug. In theory, those who smoke tea will eventually begin to abuse other, harder drugs. Plenty of evidence exists to support the "gateway" theory, though it is circumstantial at best. People who partake of the wacky tobacky have tended to move on to drugs such as heroin and cocaine, but no one has ever proven that anything intrinsic in hashish itself is to blame. As someone who doesn't actually use any drugs, I found myself of sober mind enough to come up with my own take on the "gateway" theory. What makes pot heads into crack heads? The answer lies within the one thing ganga and all other currently illegal substances have in common: illegality. To paraphrase the NRA, if muggles are outlawed, only outlaws will have muggles. Instead of being able to walk down to the corner store and buy grass, a person must be associated with the criminal element in order to procure the drug. Like any good entrepreneurs, drug dealers want to expand their profit margin. When you start buying from Huggy Bear, he's going to push you towards the more addictive and expensive products his business provides. Going to the corner store, you might pick up a bag of gummi worms, or at worst, a six pack. Going to Huggy Bear, you might pick up a heroin addiction. Making reefer legal bypasses the criminal element and effectively closes the "gateway." If I could only claim this theory as my own. The May 1999 issue of Rolling Stone covered a scientific report which undermined the "gateway" theory. The report also "...cast doubt on marijuana's addictive properties; rejected the notion that use of medical marijuana will stimulate wider recreational use of the drug; and knocked down the idea that marijuana is dangerous to its users." According to the report, the only real health risk involved in smoking greefa is the smoking itself. Smoking anything, whether hash or tobacco, causes lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. In short, the United States must either legalize green or criminalize tobacco, since the government's current policy is a textbook case of hypocrisy. Irony of ironies, this very report was commissioned by the current director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gen. Barry McCaffrey. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. But what would you expect from a guy who spells tsar, c-z-a-r? Barry-barry-banana-fana-fo-farry's only defense now is to remind us, "The study concludes that there is little future in smoked marijuana as a medically approved medication." If smoking mary-jew-ana is dangerous, all we need to do is create alternative "delivery systems" for the drug. Pills, patches, and inhalers are the most obvious alternatives, but why not soda, hard candy, or tea? Cypress Hill can do the commercials. The possibilities are endless! No reason exists for pot to remain illegal. As author and drug expert, William S. Burroughs, once wrote, "I cannot understand why the people who claim weed causes crimes do not follow through and demand the outlawing of alcohol. Every day, crimes are committed by drunks who would not have committed the crimes sober." The drug is not addictive, it does not lead to harder drug use, and it's good for those who suffer from a myriad of diseases. One day, the marriage of Juana will be legally recognized by every state in the union. She's just a girl with a bad rep. By Ryan SniateckiThe University TimesU. North Carolina - CharlottePubdate: September 1, 1999(C) 1999 The University Times via U-WIRE 
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Comment #3 posted by Morpheus on March 16, 2000 at 15:33:55 PT
retraction
Whoops - upon further (or to be precise, more careful reading) I see the CJ-M had it right the first time. I mistakenly got the lose and use backwards when I read the message. Free the weed :)
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Comment #2 posted by Morpheus on March 16, 2000 at 15:31:09 PT
Only Users Lose Drugs
I suppose j Christian-Mitchell has never eaten a chocolate bar(caffeine), drank a cola(caffeine), smoked a cigarette(nicotine), taken a headache pill(acetaminophine), or any of the myriad of antibiotics that are currently on the market. People use antidepressants and painkillers everyday to IMPROVE their lives. Some people actually need them in order to cope with everyday life.It is narrow minds like hers/his that were undoubtedly responsible for the Salem witch trials, not to mention the McCarthy communist witch trials. I can hear his/her ancestors now "Only losers use witchcraft, burn her at the stake".I have used THC products evryday for over ten years. Every university paper I wrote I wrote stoned and I never failed any - NEVER. I also wrote some for other people (non-pot users) because they were struggling and needed help. Perhaps they should have just smoked a joint and perhaps j.C-M should get a life (and half a brain wouldn't hurt either).Thanks for taking the time to read this.
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Comment #1 posted by j Christen-Mitchell on September 02, 1999 at 21:59:47 PT:
Only Users Lose Drugs
Only Users Lose Drugs
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