cannabisnews.com: Are Drugs Logical?





Are Drugs Logical?
Posted by FoM on October 20, 2000 at 19:53:45 PT
By Mark Harrison, Colville, Wash.
Source: Collegiate Times 
The author of "Drug Laws Necessary and Logical" (CT, Sept. 29), writes, "Marijuana should not be legalized because, as assault weapons are banned for good reason, … marijuana, likewise, is banned because it is far too dangerous." In all due respect, this logic doesn't even qualify as a stretch of the imagination, particularly since it's prohibition that brings many assault weapons to the streets in the first place, and it is prohibition that will keep them there.People do not smoke marijuana and then commit violent crimes as a result of the pacifying effects. 
Rather, killing, violence, turf wars, adolescent abuse and robbery are a result of prohibition, not marijuana. Fortunately for students who read the CT, there is a history department at the university. America's failed experiment with alcohol prohibition from 1919 to 1933 teaches valuable lessons. Fourteen years of bloody bootleg violence did not stop drinkers from obtaining alcohol. Today, prohibition's violence is compounded because millions of guns are now circulating in the United States, crime syndicates are far more sophisticated and the annual $600 billion global black market ensures drugs will continue to flow freely — no matter how many police officers, federal agents and black helicopters in Colombia are deployed. Prohibition didn't work in the 1920s, and it won't work in this millennium. Marijuana has been legal in this country longer than it has been illegal, and people from cultures around the world have been concocting psychoactive drugs — from coffee to heroin — from indigenous plants since recorded history. Marijuana is a fast-growing weed that can easily be cultivated as a houseplant or as covert complement to a vegetable garden. Drug warriors may as well try to eradicate dandelions. The sooner we face the facts that some people will always use marijuana either medically or recreationally, the sooner we can stop the violence and death perpetuated by prohibition. The drug war "cure" is far worse than the "disease." The sensible solution, then, is one that causes the least amount of harm to society and can easily be accomplished by removing illegal money from the equation. The author further states that it's a "dangerous and erroneous belief" to conclude marijuana is not as harmful as tobacco and alcohol. He says the "well-documented" dangers of marijuana include "dizziness, bloodshot eyes and trouble judging distances and colors" — symptoms certainly not as dangerous as an assault rifle wound, and not unlike those of hyperventilation. Yet, according to the U.S. Bureau of Mortality Statistics, 400,000 lose their lives each year from the use of tobacco, 100,000 from alcohol and absolutely no deaths attributed to health hazards of marijuana. Zero. The legal drugs the author hails "go through rigorous testing (by the Food and Drug Administration) to ensure usefulness and no harmful side effects" do, in fact, account for 20,000 deaths annually — a harmful side effect, to be sure. Following the columnist's line of reasoning, one might conclude that aspirin, responsible for 500 deaths annually, is more dangerous than marijuana. The author criticizes drug policy reform organizations, and, specifically, the November Coalition for sympathizing with the families — 1.5 million estranged spouses and children — who are also casualties of the drug war. The November Coalition advocates proven and effective alternatives for dealing with non-violent drug offenders, such as treatment, prevention and education as a first course, rather than lengthy prison terms — often longer than for murder and rape — costing $9 billion annually while failing totally to address the essence of the drug problem. The author rationalizes that as serial killer Ted Bundy was prosecuted for "butchering young women," non-violent drug offenders should also be prosecuted as criminals. The writer obviously believes that alcohol prohibition should be reinstated, that people of color should ride in the back of the bus and that women should not be allowed to smoke tobacco nor own real estate. Many of the crimes of yesteryear are no longer crimes today because people — even women — voted for reform. Should police officers be asked to put their lives on the line because consenting adults smoke marijuana? I don't think so, the November Coalition doesn't think so and many cops — those who aren't drug gangsters themselves — don't think so. The drug war is more damaging to individuals, law enforcement and society as a whole than is marijuana use. We must remember that laws are enacted to protect citizens, not to harm them. Mark Harrison, Colville, Wash. Send email to: opinions collegiatetimes.comSource: Collegiate Times (VA)Author: Mark HarrisonPublished: Friday, October 20th, 2000 Copyright: 2000 Collegiate Times Contact: comments collegiatetimes.com Fax: (540)231-5057 Address: 363 Squires Student CenterBlacksburg, VA 24061 Website: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/ Related Article & Web Site:The November Coalitionhttp://www.november.org/COLUMN: Drug Laws Necessary and Logical http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7202.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by Lehder on October 21, 2000 at 05:32:51 PT
Dangers of Marijuana
I think a lot of drug war idiots have Never tried marijuana. They've probably been drunk plenty of times, the world spinning about their heads, waking up in some unlikely place with their money gone. And they are told by our government that marijuana is a drug many thousands of times more powerful and debilitating. I guess they're also too stupid to read up on the matter.What the hell has it got to do with Ted Bundy "butchering young women"? Just some scary words to juxtrapose with 'marijuana' as a public information service.I have heard ti said that the dangers of marijuana are these: Marijuana causes extreme paranoia, an emotionally unbalanced state and violent irrational behavior in people who don't smoke it.
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