Revisiting the Marijuana Debate
- By Simple Politiks
- 10 October, 2012
- 33 Comments
Before I get started I want to repeat that I have never smoked marijuana before. I have also never been drunk. I’m a sophomore in college so that should be enough for all of you to realize that I’m not some random pothead on a rant. There is a logical argument that favors the pro-legalization side when you look at the facts. You just have to take the time to read them.
I’ve already touched on the marijuana debate in one of my first posts on this website but I’d like to expand on that and reassert my position (I’m writing a short paper about this in my Macroeconomics class so I figured that I might as well update my position on my website). I’ve learned more information and there were statistics that I ignored in my first post. So let’s get to it… I’ll begin by showing you the same video as before:
How the Chief Administrator for the Drug Enforcement Committee can’t answer such straightforward questions is beyond me. What is even more appalling is how she can get away with it. As I’m sure you have picked up on, I would like to see marijuana legalized in the United States for both medical and recreational use. I have a few huge reasons for this.
1) Marijuana is relatively safe yet we still arrest almost 1 million people every year for marijuana violations.
In 2009 the police prosecuted 858,408 persons for marijuana violations, 88% of which were arrested for possessing the drug. There are two big punishments for possessing marijuana.
Possession of marijuana is punishable by up to one year in jail and a minimum fine of $1,000 for a first conviction. For a second conviction, the penalties increase to a 15-day mandatory minimum sentence with a maximum of two years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500. Subsequent convictions carry a 90-day mandatory minimum sentence and a maximum of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Why are the punishments so harsh? Think about it! It just doesn’t make any sense. You can smoke cigarettes until there’s no tomorrow despite the fact that you’re slowly killing yourself; you might even harm those around you with the secondhand smoke! Additionally, nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs out there. But the government doesn’t see anything wrong with smoking (from a legal standpoint). Now, you might be saying that cigarettes don’t alter your perception of the world around you. Fair enough, cigarettes don’t give you a high. However, alcohol alters your perceptions too (not a “high” but your perception is still altered). And look what we have with alcohol! Thousands upon thousands of drunk driving accidents, completely lapsed judgment, vomiting, people dying every day from alcohol poisoning. But go ahead, have a drink. Just don’t get high. That’s dangerous.
You should also know that if you violate marijuana drug laws then you don’t receive federal funding for student loans. This impacts the youth the most, particularly minority groups and those of lower income.
Interesting Article About Health Costs Related to Alcohol + Tobacco + Marijuana
2) The Black Market
I just brought up the fact that marijuana isn’t nearly as dangerous as many other legal drugs. I briefly mentioned alcohol and tobacco, but there are a plethora of others. The other side of the coin that we need to look at is the government’s efficiency when it comes to decreasing the supply of marijuana. Even though I consider outlawing marijuana to be silly, I would at least hope that the government makes a significant impact on its restriction. It is illegal, after all. If you take a look at society, though, it becomes abundantly clear that the government is extremely inefficient. Why?
Because it can’t prevent a significant number of American citizens from buying and using marijuana.
What do I mean by that? Well…
All I would need to do at college is ask a couple of people where I can buy marijuana and they’ll send me to their guy. In high school I was friends with many people from all of the different cliques. I had plenty of friends who were very frequent drug users and I knew that anyone would be able to buy drugs from somebody in my school if they really wanted to. It was so easy. I even saw the beginnings of this in middle school! As early as 7th/8th grade. That’s how inefficient the government is.
People often use the argument that the only way to defeat the criminals that run the black market is to impose stricter laws. Spend more money to prevent them from getting the substances into the U.S.! Do whatever you have to do! Has anybody ever considered a much simpler way to completely destroy the profits gained by the criminals in the black market overnight?
Legalize marijuana.
How can criminals make huge amounts by selling marijuana when every other gas station sells it for a cheap price decided by the free market? The government could even tax the crap out of it, much like the tax on cigarettes. The only reason the black market can thrive is because there is sufficient demand for the good. When that demand isn’t satisfied by the current legal system, people will turn to an illegal market (the number of people differs with every good… marijuana has a very high number while cocaine is relatively less). But that’s not it – the criminals are the only suppliers so they essentially have a monopoly over the good. They can raise the prices up and they will still sell enough to make a killing.
Why let a relatively safe drug be controlled by druglords? All of the violence that results, all of the money wasted, and all of the paranoia isn’t worth it. We are only creating a bigger problem.
3) We’ve seen this in history, haven’t we?
The Prohibition of Alcohol was one of the government’s most unsuccessful mandates. I don’t want to go into an extensive amount of detail, but it obviously didn’t work because it didn’t last very long at all. The situation with marijuana is slightly different because it has been illegal for quite some time and it was given the same label as all of the other drugs during the peak of the “War on Drugs”. Still, what we are experiencing now is what happens when the government attempts to control people’s lives a little too much.
Obviously many of the laws against drugs are better for society as a whole and there is sound reasoning behind them. Although it doesn’t quite satisfy some Libertarians, cocaine and heroin are two drugs that are illegal because they are actually dangerous. I have no problems with these restrictions. I have a problem when the government lumps something like marijuana into the same group as heroin and cocaine. The Chief Administrator’s testimony in the video above is a prime example of this mindset. It isn’t logical… Is it?
This is What We Must Do
We must make laws from an objective viewpoint. We cannot always rely on the government to tell us what is good and what is bad. The decisions that the government makes can sometimes stem from motives other than objectivity. Always try to approach political issues with objectivity in mind.
A predominantly subjective government is an extremely illogical and unjust government.
*** Please keep in mind that I didn’t even go into the medical benefits of marijuana. I also didn’t go into the various ways the plant can be used in production and to better the goods we already have. There is a lot to talk about. ***
Copyright © 2013
I agree with you 100%! As a middle aged woman with some small health issues, I don’t indulge in marijuana myself, but I absolutely do not understand our drive to arrest people for use of such a mild drug, especially when it compares to the numbers of people who use tobacco, alcohol (I m one of those!) and pain medications. Could the “for profit” jails have anything to do with this, do you think?
It is certainly possible! I haven’t done any research on jails in the private sector though, or how it relates to drug crimes, so I can’t say anything definitive. That is an interesting system to research… I may do a post on the jails in the private sector in the near future now. Thanks for the idea! And thank you for agreeing with me! Hope to see you around
Update: Fixed some statistics. I had incorrect punishments for possession so I have switched them out for the right ones. I’m sorry, that shouldn’t have happened.
You are a sophomore in college and you haven’t smoked dope or been drunk. Hmmm.
It’s hard for me to imagine such a lack of curiosity in a person of your age.
I’ve had a few beers 3-4 times but I never had enough to be drunk. And yes, no drug use whatsoever.
I’m not a very curious person when it comes to using different substances. I just don’t really see a point in it. Haha, there have been multiple occassions when my friends or people I just met have asked me if I was drunk but I am always 100% sober.
When you already feel happy and fulfilled then your curiosity to use other substances will diminish greatly. Just my 2 cents on the topic, I don’t know if it’s true for others. That’s how it works for me.
Well, that’s interesting SP. Being a college student sure has changed since the 60′s & 70′s. Perhaps it’s just you though? It’s awfully hard for me to imagine not experimenting or wishing to experiment with consciousness. I agree getting drunk is stupid, but, mushrooms, pot and other substances are/were just too interesting to ignore. Are you familiar with Steve Jobs’ views on LSD? Have you read anything regarding the connection between acid, the Silicon Valley and the birth of the electronics/computer industry? Humans have always sought to alter consciousness for numerous reasons and you probably do too, just in different ways.
http://mrsneutronsgarage.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/island-hopping/
Nothing to be sorry about SP.
It seems to me that you are a very lucky human. You have but two things to worry about.
1. Peaking too early.
2. Not fully understanding what it is to suffer.
My son teaches at an Ivy League Law School so I will give you an important tip, for future reference. Your professor isn’t looking for the right answer from you. He is looking for ALL the answers from you.
I wish you nothing but continued good luck
Mrs. N.
I agree, thank you for the kind wishes. There will be unexpected turns in my lifetime; they are unavoidable and who knows what will happen because of them. If I intend to help those that are suffering, I will have to understand what real suffering is. Somewhere along the line I h to learn so I’m glad you listed it in things I should worry about. Perhaps it will be by chance or by choice… Either way, it is important that I don’t become disconnected from reality. Good fortune isn’t a common occurance. Many people don’t live easy.
I’ll take that advice to heart, thank you. Who knows, maybe if you’re still reading in 2 or 3 years I’ll be able to ask you and your son for advice about schools or classes!
Hear, hear! Great post. I live in Colorado for the next month where medical marijuana is legal. People grow it on their own, there are no “guys” to go to because it isn’t needed. You can get it anywhere and there is no sneaking. Alcohol is the problem here. The Indian reservations are being devestated by it. Drunk driving, suicide and domestic violence, all under the influence of, in my opinion, the most dangerous “legal” drug out there.
Thank you for an engaging and informative post and I totally agree with you – this is such a no brainer, makes me wonder if there’s something someone’s not telling us… Thanks for dropping by my blog and for the like.
Very nice aticle.A+ I think it’s utterly ridiculous to have marijuana any different than alcohol. I desperately wish it was legal so I could get a little relief from my anxiety that way. Make it legal and tax it.
as for getting drunk, highly overated. I did so inadvertently the first time, keeping up with my then-boyfriend (and now husband of 21 years) and his army buddies. They weren’t paying attention, and I didn’t know better. Not smart. Drink enough to get the buzz. Anymore is a waste of time.
I’m not a sophomore in college, but I swear I think I wrote this piece when I was masquerading as one of my other personae.
Definite A+ : D
I’m new here so please bare with me.To get the law makers to reverse their decision and legalize THC first you have to understand why it is a law against owning,using or selling it..We have a lot of laws on the books just like this one that are there to generate revenue only.The state and federal gov make billions every month or so by keeping it Illegal.There are other laws they do the same thing to. There only purpose is to give the state gov and fed a solid income they can count on. If you really want to make it legal then present your case but make sure you have an alternate source of revenue to replace it.The only thing I can think of is to bring back vehicle inspections once a year. With as many trillions of cars on the road at say $8.00 a pop that would generate the revenue they need to replace THC I would really like to know if anyone can suggest anything else. After we do get it legalized wouldn’t the joke be on them if you can run a car off the oil it produces.Lets see,it is good for many health conditions,to make clothes,better for you then cigarettes, can be used to fuel cars, for one little plant it really has its uses.I am retired from law enforcement thats how I know about the revenue laws. I would like to here some feed back on what you all think.
AMEN!! Well thought out and well written. I agree 100% across the board,
Thank you!
How is it possible to be in college and never have been drunk? Would you smoke weed if it was legal?
Why not? I’m interested to see what is so strange about that. I’ve always wondered what other people thought about it…
I’ve made it pretty clear that I see nothing wrong with smoking weed, so if I wanted to smoke it I would have made that happen. I’m not even the least bit curious so I don’t even bother. Just don’t really care, I guess.
I’m a high school graduate (going to college next year, as I’ve taken a year off). I’m not interested in trying weed, cigarettes, or getting drunk.
Partially because I’m a happy person that doesn’t want to lose touch with reality, partially because I don’t see the point in doing any of these things. Sometimes I think “I’d like to see what it’s like.” Then I think, “Why take the chance of a punishment?” It’s not something I want hanging over my head.
I disagree. Your points are well made, but there is an untold aspect to this, like the long-term affects pot has on those who smoke it. It isn’t harmless and I have seen those who use it recreationally contribute nothing for society as a whole. My pot buddies from high school, are still using the stuff and that is what they live for. Not the best argument against it, I know, but I’m glad it is illegal since legalizing it would merely invite others to use it. After all, you don’t use because it is illegal. The law does prevent some from getting into it and that is much better than using it.
Marijuana is definitely not harmless, but compared to other legal drugs it is much less harmful. So I apologize if I didn’t make that distinction clear enough.
As for your reasoning, I think we would need something more than your quote:
The same could be said about alcohol. The same could be said about other addictions like gambling. Should we throw away gambling? Or how about obesity? Obesity serves no purpose to society as a whole except for skyrocketing health care costs substantially. Should the government make fast food illegal? What about other foods that aren’t very healthy?
There are a lot of things in society that do not foster productivity. But other factors are involved when a government decides what is illegal. Well, I would certainly hope so! If you have any other reasons that make you feel this way then please feel free to share, I’d like to see if we can make a productive debate out of it. But if not, I don’t believe your argument is strong enough. It can even be equalized by the benefits it has brought society (the amount of musicians and comedians on drugs alone is ridiculous. artists as well).
So yeah, if you have more points then feel free to share!
I appreciate this coming from somebody who does not even smoke marijuana themselves. Well said.
Thank you! Hope to see you drop by again.
Entirely agreed. I thrive on rationality. Additionally, I’ll share a joint with you anytime you decide to see what the all the fuss is about.
Hahaha, while I can’t see myself testing it out the offer is certainly appreciated!
I’m glad you like what I have to say. Hope to see you drop by again sometime.
I nominated you for the One Lovely Blogger Award! For more details: http://thehesoproject.wordpress.com/2012/10/26/lovely-blogger-award/
wow in depth and i totally agree
[...] an irrelevant issue in the coming years. In a much more recent post I also discussed this issue: http://simple-politiks.com/2012/10/10/revisiting-the-marijuana-debate-2/. Its restriction, for medicine in particular, is not logical at all when you look at the various [...]
I also agree. I have indulged in the use of marijuana to a very small degree and to be honest, I quite like it over using alcohol. I probably use it once or twice a month. A drug is a drug, whether it’s government regulated or not. Weed calms me down and relaxes me without making me feel woozy or foggy. I find even with a couple drinks in me I start to all wobbly — I don’t with weed. It also helps with pain/nausea which I get every time I’m in a vehicle/menstrual cramps (which obviously happen every month).
Well written article.
Prescription drug companies are American war lords… but enough of my opinions. This is a great article. Many ‘think tanks’ have been paid a lot of money to come up with the same observations. I am a retired cop, I hated to be part of a system that continually arrested people with little money for small amounts of possession for use. I generally don’t like to write politically charged issues, so seldom read them. I really like your style of writing. Thank you for sharing. Happy New Year to you.
Thanks for stopping by Veranano. I have a couple of thoughts: the tobacco and alcohol industry is established, huge, and powerful. They make lots of money which means they have lots of influence. Doesn’t that figure into any argument about pot legislation? Also, pot is also known as a gateway drug, meaning it leads to harder drugs. That is something to think about, isn’t it?
Those are interesting points.
Money doesn’t exactly influence the mass public opinion, only the politicians in power. And so far we’ve seen that people believe in some extent of personal responsibility. It’s okay to have harmful drugs on the market because a person should be free to do whatever he or she wants with his or her body. So whether that means eating too much or drinking alcohol, nobody can force you to refrain as long as you’re not hurting anybody. I think that’s why alcohol and tobacco are still on the market. When governments try to restrict people’s choices with these goods we see cases like the abolition of alcohol in the 1920s. Organized crime first developed in response to that, actually. If abolition is so ineffectual and causes even greater problems, why do it?
As for the gateway drug argument, did you know that cigarettes are actually a gateway drug too? People who smoke cigarettes are more likely to smoke marijuana. But with cigarettes out in the market, the government is able to put very high taxes on them. These taxes drive away consumers, especially younger consumers. If we did the same with marijuana there is a good chance that less people would be willing to buy it.
But the most important part of this argument is whether marijuana is harmful enough to warrant a ban. Seeing how it has great medicinal purposes (among others), I don’t see why it should be any different from prescription medicine. I don’t see why it has to be banned for recreational use either. It isn’t nearly as harmful as many prescription medicines (which are considered hard drugs when abused) or other substances that are even out on the free market.
Do you think those are valid points to consider as well?
I agree with your points about people being able to make a choice. I would hope there are protections out there, such as age. Banning does tend to go the opposite in affect, doesn’t it? There are drugs that are beneficial to pain and they are available through prescription. Is this the route pot should go? Getting a doctor’s prescription? Like that is going to stop anybody. It’s going to be an ongoing issue as long as people have a need or desire to escape their situation. What the people want, someone will provide a means.
well said! thanks for visiting my blog