Pubdate: Fri, 2 Dec 2005
Source: Western Courier (Western Illinois U, IL Edu)
Copyright: 2005 Western Courier
Contact: http://www.westerncourier.com/main.cfm?include=submit
Website: http://www.westerncourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3953
Author: Joseph Lemanski
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion)

FREEDOM TO IGNORE DRUG LAWS

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." -
Benjamin Franklin

Everyone participates in activities they consider fun. Everyone has a
means of recreation. For some people, this means watching television,
for others, art. Some use drugs, some follow sports, read, cook, do
crafts or even have sex (who would argue that isn't fun?). Regardless
of the activity, all of these are a means of escaping one's reality.

I'd assume it's easy to agree mind-altering drugs - alcohol and
marijuana - are used liberally here at, well, a liberal arts college.
Even things that seem rather mundane, like needlepoint, do their part
in altering reality. When doing absolutely anything "fun," your brain
releases endorphins (and if I'm wrong, correct me), which are the
chemicals that give you the happy stimulus. Having that sort of brain
chemistry going on is an alteration of the brain's normal state, thus
making reality altered when you do anything fun.

That being the case, no one harps on anyone else for doing things
construed as harmless, like vegging out in front of the TV. I couldn't
imagine someone being yelled at for knitting a sweater. Why is this
the case, then, for drugs?

There's automatically a horrible connotation of being irresponsible,
of being detrimental to society and a potential danger to others.
While I might entertain the latter option for about two seconds, the
others are absurd. When one drinks, smokes pot or other substances,
it's not as if they're injecting the drug in question into someone
else's veins; people should have the right to do whatever they want.

The negative connotations of drugs are largely due to the "war on
drugs," which I have yet to comprehend. By making drugs illegal, they
only cost more to the people who use them. The fact they are illegal,
in itself, likely attracts many people to them.

Marijuana, in particular, is cast in a false light. Granted, some
users act really dumb after smoking, but others act perfectly normal
in public, making many of those commercials against its use blatantly
false.

Marijuana has many documented useful medicinal qualities. It helps
against nausea and relieves pain, just to name a couple. The reason I
believe it's being regulated is simply because big business couldn't
possibly profit from it; it's easy to grow and small amounts will do
the trick. Anyone could grow this stuff in their backyard and have
free medicine. Not that I necessarily would do it, but if I or anyone
else wanted to, that should be their personal business.

Now, back to the belief that drug use is dangerous to others: yes, I
will agree that drunken driving is a definite danger. However, alcohol
is legal. I will fully admit here I like drinking. A lot. There are
plenty of people who are willing to drive home from the bar totally
wasted, and yes, those people deserve every ticket they get and more.
Walk your lazy selves home instead of putting others at risk. Call a
cab, if you must. But, despite how dangerous alcohol obviously is in
the hands of irresponsible people, it's still legal. It's obviously
mind-altering, just as other drugs are and has nasty side effects on
your liver and brain, to boot. If we maintain the legality of alcohol,
why not make other drugs legal as well?

In the United States, we are supposed to have freedom. Freedom, to me,
means being able to do whatever the hell you want as long as it
doesn't harm another being. I don't want to snort a few lines of coke.
I don't even want to smoke a joint. I just want to have that liberty
given to me because I believe in a country that emphasizes freedom
everyone should have that right.
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MAP posted-by: Steve Heath