Americans have always had a reluctance to institute laws that limit our freedom, at the same time we feel we have a vested interest in taking steps to protect our citizens from harm. Both instincts are reasonable, and well meaning. In resent years an increasing number of Americans have questioned the wisdom of incarcerating millions of our fellow citizens are simple drug charges; especially Marijuana.
There is no valid medical reason why Marijuana is illegal, and alcohol legal.
When you compare the death tolls associated with each you see alcohol connected to nearly 100,000 deaths per year, while Marijuana Mortality, " Epidemiological data indicate that in the general population marijuana use is not associated with increased mortality."* While there was not a single death directly caused by pot; the leading causes of death in 2000 was tobacco accounting for 435,000 deaths; 18.1% of total US deaths that year.
We have been fighting a war against drugs for 100 years, with nothing to show for all of the tens of billions we have spent. Instead we should be fighting a war against addiction, that is the real problem and a war I believe we can, if not win, at least make progress. No parent ever says "Oh, I'm so happy my daughter is an Alcoholic, but gave up pot." I have seen people's lives ended, or greatly complected by many different forms of addiction, from pills to inhaling the fumes from spray-cans.
Addiction comes at a high price, and I'm not suggesting that we should ignore the impact that any drugs have on our loved ones or society at large. I only stating that putting someone in jail for smoking a joint is an insane waste of our money an resources. The truth is, we are letting child molesters out of jail early to make room for some 19 year-old who got caught getting high watching Jack White play with the Raconteurs.
It seems that the cost to our society of imprisoning pot users is greater than the value that protection brings. We should just legalize it, and then sell it in stores the same way we do vodka or cigarettes. That will take a big bit out of organized crime and street gangs, while raising large amounts of money in taxes that can be used to fight addiction and provide treatment.
*Source: Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr., and John A Benson, Jr., "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base," Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research, Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999), p. 109.
There is no valid medical reason why Marijuana is illegal, and alcohol legal.
When you compare the death tolls associated with each you see alcohol connected to nearly 100,000 deaths per year, while Marijuana Mortality, " Epidemiological data indicate that in the general population marijuana use is not associated with increased mortality."* While there was not a single death directly caused by pot; the leading causes of death in 2000 was tobacco accounting for 435,000 deaths; 18.1% of total US deaths that year.
We have been fighting a war against drugs for 100 years, with nothing to show for all of the tens of billions we have spent. Instead we should be fighting a war against addiction, that is the real problem and a war I believe we can, if not win, at least make progress. No parent ever says "Oh, I'm so happy my daughter is an Alcoholic, but gave up pot." I have seen people's lives ended, or greatly complected by many different forms of addiction, from pills to inhaling the fumes from spray-cans.
Addiction comes at a high price, and I'm not suggesting that we should ignore the impact that any drugs have on our loved ones or society at large. I only stating that putting someone in jail for smoking a joint is an insane waste of our money an resources. The truth is, we are letting child molesters out of jail early to make room for some 19 year-old who got caught getting high watching Jack White play with the Raconteurs.
It seems that the cost to our society of imprisoning pot users is greater than the value that protection brings. We should just legalize it, and then sell it in stores the same way we do vodka or cigarettes. That will take a big bit out of organized crime and street gangs, while raising large amounts of money in taxes that can be used to fight addiction and provide treatment.
*Source: Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr., and John A Benson, Jr., "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base," Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research, Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999), p. 109.
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