Pubdate: Mon, 29 Sep 2003
Source: Vanguard, The (AL Edu)
Copyright: 2003 USA Vanguard
Contact:  http://www.usavanguard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2827
Author: Jeff Poor

POT DEBATE IS POINTLESS, BORING AND UNENDING

One is the editor-in-chief of a racy pro-marijuana magazine and the other 
is a retired DEA agent. Not since that 1968 hit The Odd Couple, starring 
Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, has there been two more different people! 
It is Snoop Dogg meets McGruff the Crime Dog - it is Heads vs. Feds 
featuring Steven Hager of High Times Magazine and Robert Stutman, the 
founder of Employee Information Services, Inc.-the nation's largest 
management firm specializing in substance-abuse for employees-and they are 
both coming to a college campus near you!

Am I the only person who gets bored with this debate about smoking pot? 
Well, there are probably a few professors that teach Public Speaking 101 
who just loathe the persuasion speech portion of the semester. If it isn't 
creation vs. evolution, then there is a good chance it is marijuana 
legalization.

There is just something about a Jeff Spicoli-wannabe addressing a class 
about all the uses of marijuana - from medicinal purposes to that 
absolutely adorable hemp jewelry - that makes me cringe. Hey Tommy Chong, 
stick to kicking the hacky sack around or dancing to Widespread Panic in 
your retro '60s tie-dye garb.

On the other hand, I am also tired of the damn Ad Council and the Office of 
National Drug Control Policy with their outrageous scare tactics. Their 
depiction of your average run-of-the-mill recreational pot smoker looks 
more like a guy whacked out on industrial strength paint thinner and horse 
tranquilizers. Yes, public service announcements are your tax dollars at 
work. I am sure there are many young Americans saying, "I won't smoke 
marijuana because I don't want my brain to look like an egg in a hot frying 
pan."

I really don't have an opinion either way on the legalization of marijuana, 
but if I had to pick a side, I would lean toward legalization on the sole 
basis that this topic would never have to be rehashed again. Aren't there 
more pressing concerns to the students of the University of South Alabama?

As for the University of South Alabama, who besides the campus police are 
the staunch opponents of marijuana legalization? It seems like a non-issue 
to me. Overwhelmingly, I am sure the student body wouldn't mind being able 
to light up a joint. On the other hand, that would probably lead to study 
sessions with bong hits because some people think they "study better" when 
stoned, and thus the collective G.P.A. of the student body would likely 
decrease.

People have a lot of stress these days, especially college students. Some 
have to balance a job, school and a busy social life and they deserve to 
blow off a little steam. If their outlet involves lighting up a doobie and 
trying to see if they can synchronize The Wizard of Oz with Pink Floyd's 
The Dark Side Of The Moon, more power to them. It doesn't bother me one way 
or another. The "Pleasure Police" should really find another cause to save 
people from themselves if this seems like such disturbing behavior to them.

Fiscally speaking, legalization would probably save the government money 
fighting drugs and they could focus more of their effort fighting the more 
deadly narcotics. They also could tax the hell out of marijuana like they 
do with cigarettes now. It could be like the Mississippi Hope Scholarship, 
but instead of funding from casinos, you could say dope paved my way 
through higher academia.

If you're really a hard-core champion of this legalization cause, you 
probably should look at a 12-step program because you are devoting way too 
much time and energy to the usage of marijuana. This type of activism seems 
to be generated by a couple of possession charges or something of a similar 
nature. That's probably a sign you should cut back on your cannabis 
consumption.

To make a long story short, I think this whole dog and pony show is just a 
waste of time. But, then again, there are probably less worthwhile causes 
to work for in your pursuit to make the world a better place, like PETA, 
for example.

I guess all I can hope for is that someone just read this article 
completely stoned off his or her gourd and thought it was utterly hilarious.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart