Brenton
The Case For Marijuana
October 22nd 2007 09:17
The other side to THIS POST.
Marijuana use is so prevalent in Australia that it’s not uncommon for it to enter casual conversation without the same kind of awkward tension that other taboo subjects might create.
The main argument for marijuana is that the argument against it is entirely weak and desperate. Marijuana is illegal as it is apparently a gateway drug, and dangerous. While there are certain dangers associated with Marijuana (that are far lesser than many legal drugs) it is the gateway drug that is most often cited.
However, if pot is indeed a gateway drug, it would seem likely to me that the only reason this is so is that it is an individuals’ first venture into the world of illegal drugs. Therefore marijuana becomes a gateway drug BECAUSE it is illegal – and not vice versa.
The other way for marijuana to function as a gateway drug is through being able to supply an individual with a high they want to replicate, then extremify. If this were true, then why do we permit other drug use – Alcohol, a depressant, as is Heroin, Caffeine in popular energy drinks, an upper, as is Ecstasy, and Nicotine, a mild upper with addictive properties, such as those possessed by methamphetamine.
In fact, the fetish of Anti-Marijuana ranting, can be seen to be doing more harm then good – making pot more cool rather than less.
Some people are responsible. Some are less so. However, we cannot just work off the assumption that because a thing may be abused by an individual, to that individuals detriment, that we may legitimately protect those irresponsible individuals with paternalistic blanket laws.
The laws that govern marijuana illegalisation are not evil, and are not a form of ideological warfare, for the most part. They are, in a very literal way, noble laws. But as the adage says, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Marijuana laws go a small way to protecting youth against drugs, but at a great cost. An increasingly more powerful black-market industry, widely wasted and abused emergency forces and a perception that Government information on drugs is untrue and other illegal drugs are likely to be as safe as marijuana ensure that much of the good done by marijuanas illegalisation is swamped out by the bad.
Marijuana use is so prevalent in Australia that it’s not uncommon for it to enter casual conversation without the same kind of awkward tension that other taboo subjects might create.
The main argument for marijuana is that the argument against it is entirely weak and desperate. Marijuana is illegal as it is apparently a gateway drug, and dangerous. While there are certain dangers associated with Marijuana (that are far lesser than many legal drugs) it is the gateway drug that is most often cited.
However, if pot is indeed a gateway drug, it would seem likely to me that the only reason this is so is that it is an individuals’ first venture into the world of illegal drugs. Therefore marijuana becomes a gateway drug BECAUSE it is illegal – and not vice versa.
The other way for marijuana to function as a gateway drug is through being able to supply an individual with a high they want to replicate, then extremify. If this were true, then why do we permit other drug use – Alcohol, a depressant, as is Heroin, Caffeine in popular energy drinks, an upper, as is Ecstasy, and Nicotine, a mild upper with addictive properties, such as those possessed by methamphetamine.
In fact, the fetish of Anti-Marijuana ranting, can be seen to be doing more harm then good – making pot more cool rather than less.
Some people are responsible. Some are less so. However, we cannot just work off the assumption that because a thing may be abused by an individual, to that individuals detriment, that we may legitimately protect those irresponsible individuals with paternalistic blanket laws.
The laws that govern marijuana illegalisation are not evil, and are not a form of ideological warfare, for the most part. They are, in a very literal way, noble laws. But as the adage says, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Marijuana laws go a small way to protecting youth against drugs, but at a great cost. An increasingly more powerful black-market industry, widely wasted and abused emergency forces and a perception that Government information on drugs is untrue and other illegal drugs are likely to be as safe as marijuana ensure that much of the good done by marijuanas illegalisation is swamped out by the bad.
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Comment by Ahmed
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Like all other drugs it should be legal to take but it should be treated as a health issue. No use throwing a drug addict in a prison cell, doesn't end the addiction.
Better use the money for for drug rehab than improsment.
Comment by Brenton
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Comment by Ahmed
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Comment by Mountain Fog
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QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
very interesting and thought provoking post! You raise some very valid points. Sadly, this argument was going on when I was a teen puffing on a joint...those were the days!
Dope has a weird and wonderful history, because it is the one plant that could be argued was made by a benevolent being! For a start, it is the source of hemp, which was the main and best form of rope. It has many medicinal properties and it can yield, in one year, four times the amount of A grade paper pulp, on a per hectare basis, than any other plant, and you can grow it all again the next year, in the same plot, as it is a weed and does not destroy the properties of the soil.
I have often argued that a low grade hemp should be used to supply the raw material for the pulp mills instead of cutting old growth forests. The reason the woodsmen are against that is merely their traditions, and maybe some deep seated Freudian complex...ahem..
The current high yield marijuana, hydroponic "skunk" varieties have produced psychological problems for some chronic users, whose mental health was probably borderline personality disorder (psychotic) anyway, and they were merely self medicating.
Yes, it should be decriminalised, because only crooked cops, government agencies and crims benefit by its illegality.
The reason it became illegal was because of a campaign by the Dupont Corporation, who wanted industry to use their new invention nylon rope, but had met resistance because of hemp's superior quality and handling.
I come from a technical theatre background and you would hear of some theatres being referred to as "hemp houses", this is because their fly system was using all pure hemp rope.
cheers!
fog
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Comment by Mountain Fog
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QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
in the late seventies someone exposed the fact that the big tabacco companies had drawn up lans to commercially market dope! They had all sorts of ideas, all ready rolled and filtered too! Acapulco Gold is one I seem to remember!
cheers
fog
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Comment by Brenton
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Fog - cheers for that. I don't think I really toucjhed on Skunk in the artilce, but there's another major yes point.
Glen- It was inteded thast way - HAve a look up the top for a link to an equally unballenced Anti-Pot article.