Drugs!
Think really hard to yourself for a minute. Why do you suppose some drugs such as ethanol, caffeine, ibuprofen, and nicotine are legal–while others such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, found in cannabis), seratonin (LSD), and dopamine (cocaine) are not? Be sure you’re able to give logical reasons–and don’t let the drugs that are currently legal fit your definition of a harmful drug! I gave up already too. Recently, a team of British researchers conducted an investigation to categorize the most commonly used drugs, effectively giving them a “harm rating”. They categorized twenty different drugs including both ones that are currently illegal and legal.
Their findings were interesting. The study looked at physical harm (acute, chronic, parenteral), dependence (intensity of pleasure, psychological dependence, physical dependence), and social harms (intoxication, other social harms, healthcare costs). Here is the chart of the results:
The classes indicate at which class the laws currently classify that particular drug. Isn’t that something? The class system seems to be arbitrary. We have alcohol (perfectly legal) near the top of the charts right next to heroin, meth, and cocaine. Drugs like LSD and Ecstasy are on the bottom of the chart. Marijuana is right in the middle below tobacco. It’s actually about what you’d expect if you weren’t conditioned by the current stigma against some drugs while others are readily available.
So, why don’t we just ban all drugs? Then we won’t have to worry about any of this stuff. Well, we’ve tried that once. It didn’t work. When you make a drug illegal, the people who want to use it will find a way to use it. It allowed organized criminals to profit from the illegal sale of the beverage. When alcohol was not readily available, people who wished to use it were willing to pay more for it. This forced mobsters such as Al Capone to take more radical measures when securing a shipment.
So, banning all drugs is probably not a practical option. It also appears that our current system is impractical and arbitrary. There is no good reason that marijuana should be illegal and tobacco not. Banning alcohol is not a viable option since it’s already deemed acceptable by the majority of society. But, if we leave that legal then what reason do we have to keep ecstasy classified as a Class A drug?
My solution would be to legalize all drugs. I’m crazy? Hear me out. It’s my belief that this is not an issue about drugs. It’s an issue about freedom. Here are four reasons that I think make a logical argument for the legalization of all drugs:
- Reduce crime. A large majority of drug-related crime is committed by the people who profit from the unregulated drug market. If we make all drugs legal, we will effectively eliminate these types of crimes. We would be able to regulate the usage.
- Save Money. With legal drugs, our prisons would be freed of people who are lawbreakers of victimless crimes. Our government would not have to spend billions of the taxpayers’ money on the “war on drugs”. The prices of these drugs would be dramatically reduced, and users would not have to steal to support their habit. This money could then be used to improve public health and education programs. Alternatively, it could not be taken from citizens in the first place, drastically reducing tax rates.
- Promote Freedom. In a free society, an adult should be allowed to put whatever he or she chooses to put in their body. It is not the government’s job to play babysitter in our personal lives.
- Decriminalize otherwise law-abiding citizens. Over half of all people in this country aged 15-16 have used an illegal drug. Up to to one and a half million people use ecstasy every weekend. When so many people use illegal drugs, why not let the laws match the majority?
These are just a few reasons, and there are many more. My point is, why do we have such a system in place? It’s perfectly acceptable to use alcohol–even while alcohol is clearly more harmful to yourself and others than marijuana. For most people, the thought doesn’t even cross their mind that they are using drugs when drinking alcohol. Some people may say that the legalization of all drugs would cause a great surge of drug use. I think this is an insult to human integrity. This suggests that the only reason they don’t drive around on the roads while high is because it is illegal to do so.
People use drugs because they do what they are supposed to do. People smoke marijuana because it makes them feel good. People take caffeine to perk themselves up. No drug has a monopoly on safety. Taking too much caffeine can kill you. It is literally impossible to overdose on marijuana. Yet, one is legal and one is not. Why? As long as their drug use harms nobody else, an adult should be able to take whichever drug they wish to. That’s what freedom is about.
How a drug is perceived by society, and how the powers that be want society to perceive that drug, will ultimately affect how society, and its law establishment, deal with the drug. The war on drugs, for the most part, is a complete failure. I’ve always equated drug abuse with the spiritual and economic deficiencies of a society.
Now tell me which is worse: A country that propagates complete bullshit regarding its place in the world, and promoting militarism, resulting in the brainwashing of young men and women who die needlessly, or someone who does a drug like cocaine and could possibly experience the same fate as the result of an OD.
One of the main reasons so many people use drugs in this country, is that its simply a coping mechanism. No one sets out to deliberatly become a drug addict. In fact, our society promotes the worst type of rebellion by promoting a model of conformity that is extremely limiting to a great number of people.
The human spirit will do one of two things:Break down and conform, while embracing misery and mediocrity, or simply say FUCK YOU! If we really let people live in this country as they wanted to, and promoted a lifestyle not centered on consuming and acquiring, you wouldn’t see the type of behavior that results from so much societal oppression.
Take a hard honest look at the people who are addicted: A lot of them are lower income people, various minorities, etc. I recently read an article on the subject of the natural gas boom in Wyoming. Many of the field workers are minimally educated at best. Its hard work and they do Meth (a terrible drug) in order to stay awake. The violence has risen exponentially with the boom. Wouldn’t it make more sense if they could buy clean, safely and legally manufactured amphetamines, and opposed to snorting drain cleaners, etc. Its shitty work, and they are going to do the drugs regardless whether they are safe or not.
Wealthy people generally receive treatment and a slap on the wrist. The poor go to jail. I’ve noticed that lot of CJ majors don’t want to hear that in their sociology classes. Well, if you want to promote such a system with such great social inequities, go right ahead. It tells me a great deal about your need for power and control. Sorry, what else is it? Don’t give me this fucking BS about wanting to serve society for the better.
Lets face it: With legalized drugs, law enforcement would lose a lot of funding for existence. The sad fact of the matter is, that putting someone in jail for using drugs hurts society in the long run as opposed to helping it. These people can’t get jobs upon their release, they have a record, no rehabilitation or occupational training while in prison, with the satisfaction that “law enforcement” did its job. Give me a fucking break! I hate to say it, but most cops I know have a lot of personal issues.
The greatest amount of damage inflicted on society is the result of alcohol use. Its a damn sad state of affairs. Damn sad. Until the whole picture changes, on many different levels, you are going to have people who want use drugs. Its really too bad that family values is now a word synonymous with anti gay marriage campaigns and elections.
Real family values would create situations that would make it much easier for all to make a good living, substantially reducing the desire for people to want to use drugs. However, there will always be those who do want to use them. Legalize, tax, and regulate.
That way, the “cops,” most of them being the jarhead/peach fuzz type assholes that they are, can go after the real criminals like embezzlers, losers mugging and beating 90 year old women, child abusers, identity thieves, the list goes on.
It is really essential for family members to school themselves about the bio chemical science that is happening in their loved one to realize the actual nature of how “possessed” by the disease their loved one is. This will allow for them to take topics such as blame, dishonour,anger and mistaken cause off the table and stress on actions that will help. Once seen household members are better suited to acknowledge, respond, and speak to the disease while also furthering and supporting the spirit of the individual they love. It is really essential for family to sort the devil from the individual, and recognise the difference. Ultimately, that is the tough conflict that the afflicted loved one faces within themselves and as very much as we may reckon ourselves as victims, they are the ultimate victims of this beastly disease.