Conventional Wisdom posits that Marijuana is a “Gateway Drug,” that its use ultimately leads to addiction to ever more powerful and destructive drugs. Given the reality that a large and sustained percentage of our nations populous smoke marijuana at least occasionally, and that counted amongst them are some of our societies most educated, responsible and productive citizens, we do a very great disservice to this large segment of society by failing to thoroughly and intelligently explore this subject, and to conclude with all certainty what is true and what is mere conjecture. The question again: Is marijuana responsible for introducing people to more dangerous and additive drugs?
In our nation every peace-loving citizen has cause to be grateful for the laws that protect us, laws devised to protect innocent souls from harm by the those who lack restraint, the wicked and violent. Equally, we should feel thankful for the caring men and woman who police our cities, towns, back woods and byways; relative to many other nations throughout the world, our forces are populated by upright and earnest men and women in pursuit of the greater public good. We have cause to be proud of our nation, of being a nation governed by the rule of law rather than that of dictatorial will or wanton political maleficence. As such, we must never allow for laws that have no design in protecting innocent people from harm by others. When the laws themselves (and subsequent enforcement of those laws) bring harm to innocent people, those laws must be repealed.
We have laws enough designed to discourage criminal behavior and to punish evil doers for causing harm. No one benefits from the harsh punishment of a peaceful marijuana smoker.
In our nation we have this profound and wonderful contract between our nations governing bodies and “We the people,” the Constitution, which our governments leaders swear an oath to uphold. In it we are guaranteed among other rights the right to “the pursuit of happiness.” Though I myself have not partaken for a very long time, I am one such citizen who did imbibe, who preferred marijuana over alcohol in my own overt pursuit of happiness. Not only do I have my own history, my own experience with marijuana and the dynamic culture that surrounds it to draw from, but likewise I have extensive experience, near thirty years experience helping alcoholics and addicts put their lives in order. From this deep well of experience I have found consistent evidence of two strident negatives regarding marijuana consumption in America; that being, (1) the laws forbidding it and the penalties attending those laws, and (2) the criminal environment created by the those laws.
If marijuana were legalized, the criminal would be removed from the equation
Why people seek out and consume marijuana should be evident to even the most stalwart tea-totaling Southern Baptist. The effects of marijuana are highly pleasurable, and the drug contained within those fragrant flowers (known as “Buds”) are not physically addictive. Indeed, one could reason that if anything should be outlawed due to its addictive and destructive nature, it would be alcohol and tobacco, not marijuana. That said, drawing from our nations past experience and immense failure with “Prohibition” of alcohol, and the immense failure inherent in the prohibiting of American citizens to consume marijuana, we are forced to look hard and long at where our nations best interests reside. --- Are the laws prohibiting the possession, sale and enjoyment of marijuana good for our nation? In asking this question we must, everyone of us, contend with the fact that the prohibition of marijuana has had no effect at all in curbing the American appetite for it.
We dare not exclude from the debate the stark reality that the penalties for marijuana possession are cruel, doing grievous harm to many who are guilty of no other offense. Not long ago I was privy to one such example: Three, clean-cut young republicans, college students all, were spotted smoking a joint by an officer as they drove west along I-20, in Smith County, East Texas. When the officer rummaged through their vehicle he could find no contraband, as one of the young men had eaten the remainder of the only joint they had. The officer arrested all three and charged them all with marijuana possession and with destroying evidence. The young men were held on $3000.00 bail each, and that was just the beginning of the time and money they (and their families) would ultimately have to forfeit to the Smith County Court system. Three young men who were doing no harm to anyone were in turn brought to harm by the very legal system sworn to protect them from such harm.
It's
been all wrong for far too long
Many before me have presented the argument that marijuana presents fewer health risks to the consumer and public welfare than do either cigarettes or alcohol. Regarding addictiveness, the evidence is overwhelming that quitting marijuana is far and away easier than quitting either alcohol or cigarette addiction. Allow me to add here, that from my extensive observation, when not mixed with other substances marijuana has proven to have a calming effect on most people who enjoy it. I have witnessed many a loud, obnoxious and angry drunk, but I have never once in all my years witnessed a violent outburst from anyone under the effect of marijuana, when not mixed with other drugs or alcohol.
Returning to the question, “Is marijuana a gateway drug?” the answer is an unfortunate “Yes,” in America, under prevailing conditions it is. “Yes, but” is a more accurate answer in that there is this inherent conditional factor in the equation that when neglected renders us blind to the truth. The universal evidence makes it clear, that if we remove this conditional factor this trend will be for the most part reversed.
Large numbers of American's want marijuana. Criminals should not be their source.
For the better part marijuana is distributed and sold by criminals, for no other reason but that it is an illegal substance. We cannot discount from the debate that otherwise law abiding citizens are instantly categorized as criminal for associating with this plant. But beyond those who handle and smoke marijuana who are generally moral, who have no motive to commit any other manner of crime, is the fact that many involved in the distribution and sale of marijuana are in fact hardcore criminals, some even capable of murder. Because it is illegal hardcore criminals traffic in marijuana, and it is the very illegality of marijuana that places it in this criminal landscape, and forces those American's who have no compunction to harm others to have to interact with people they never would have otherwise.
“Illegal marijuana” has proven to contribute to those who choose to smoke it being introduced to drugs that are categorically harmful. I personally have known quite a number of people who were wonderful, successful people, family men and woman who enjoyed the occasional joint or bowl-full, who were good parents, neighbors and citizens. Yet I have not known a single person who was hooked on Crack, Crank or Heroine that I could say the same about. It should be clear to us all that removing the gateway to hardcore criminals and hardcore drugs would be a noble achievement for our nations people.
From my personal experience and years of observation I find that many who sell marijuana in small quantities to suburbanites and amongst career men and woman are for the better part decent, peaceful people. For the better part productive people with much to lose keep their distance from people who might be motivated to do them harm. Yet, as true as this is, many less fortunate of our citizens who choose to imbibe have little alternative but to turn to criminals to obtain what they choose to enjoy in their pursuit of happiness. It is even more so true that the higher up the chain of distribution you go, the closer to hardcore criminals one finds themselves.
Some, wanting no part in criminal trade have taken to growing their own supply, yet at the risk of years of incarceration as well as suffering great financial and property loss. I understand just how insane it strikes many Americans that anyone would dare put themselves in that position. To those, I would challenge you to remember that we are, according to our Constitution, but greater still, according to the very nature of the human soul, free to engage to pursuing happiness. People who want to imbibe, who have no criminal intent to harm others, are in the only way they know how rebelling against a form of tyranny and oppression. They are clearly fighting this oppression in a peaceful and quiet manner. Noteworthy is the fact that there has never been anything remotely approaching a marijuana riot in the history of our nation.
In all my years interacting with people who have experience with marijuana, I have not met one out of the many who concludes that it should be illegal.
Because hardcore criminals care little or nothing about the well-being of others or society's greater good, they don't just sell marijuana, they also sell harder drugs, even the most dangerous and addictive drugs, and they don't hesitate to introduce their marijuana customers to these ever more addictive substances. So under the cloud of errant law and the subsequent enforcement of those misbegotten laws, it is thus true that the environment of illegality surrounding marijuana in America is the portal through which people are introduced to ever more dangerous drugs, drugs that many would never pursue or be tempted to try if marijuana could be purchased on the legal open market, and enjoyed freely, as our Constitution provides.
Now, with this equation in view, think what would happen if beer were illegal. Hardcore criminals would then be selling beer along side Crack, Meth and Heroine, and beer would become the gateway drug. So, the conclusion is that it is not marijuana that creates this gateway to dangerous drug addiction, but the environment of illegality created by errant law.
What is unequivocally true is that the lives of good citizens who for whatever the motive choose to smoke marijuana, are dealt a harmful blow and in some cases are irrevocably brought to ruin by the enforcement of laws forbidding marijuana possession. As a society we must come to grips with the fact that whether it be legal or illegal, people of every demographic have for generations, are at this very moment, and will continue in great number to pursue the pleasurable effects of marijuana. The question then must be, “Why would our government not repeal these laws that do such great harm to our nations citizenry? Why would our governing bodies, from the local to the federal level, continue to make criminals of good and productive citizens who beyond the merchandising and consuming of this plant have no desire nor motive to commit real crimes of harm against others?”
Again, it must be understood that a high percentage of people who indulge in marijuana are only criminals in theory due to our nations wayward laws which box them into the realm of criminality. Understanding that many good, productive Americans, people that society at large have no need to fear, smoke marijuana. Reflecting back on my own past experience, the marijuana that I and all of my friends and acquaintances enjoyed we bought from people we knew all of our lives growing up. Never in all of my experience did criminal behavior or violence enter into the mix. None of us carried guns, and never in all those years did any of us get into a brawl over anything. We were all highly active, athletic young men, none of whom had any interest in criminal behavior or violence. Yet, according to these errant laws regarding marijuana possession and distribution, we were, everyone of us, worthy of long stretches in prison, to be subjected to the evils of pathological, perverse, hardcore criminals. Be not deceived; many a peaceful marijuana smoker has been sentenced to lengthy jail terms, and equally peaceful resellers to prison sentences where they were raped by evil men. Surely all good citizens agree that evil should not be permitted in our nation, that evil doers must be caught and punished. But peaceful men and women should not have their lives turned inside out for no other reason than peacefully enjoying a pleasurable sensation.
For far too long our nations lawmakers have failed to grasp just how damaging the illegality of marijuana is to the good citizens who enjoy it, and just how easy it would be to remove the criminal element from the marijuana equation. Remove the repressive legal restrictions on marijuana, and thus remove the criminal profit motive, allowing the free market to take over; hardworking entrepreneurs will prosper, new tax revenues will be generated; it's a win/win. What is stunning to consider is that it is not American marijuana consumers who created the prevailing environment of criminality around this plant, but the rule of law that should only ever be designed to protect the innocent.
From our Governments perspective
smoking marijuana is criminal behavior worthy of punishment. But it
is well pass due time that thoughtful, caring Americans realize that
millions of good, productive American's indulging in harmless fun
should not be penalized with harsh punishment, imprisonment and the
inherent damaging high legal expenses that being pressed through “the
system” invariably subjects one to. We have laws enough in place to
keep the innocent safe from the malcontent and pathologically
harmful. We are protected by laws forbidding one from stealing the
goods of another, or from injuring, or molesting another. We have
many right and good laws forbidding that one citizen (or alien)
commit immoral acts against another, and with these laws a national
network of law enforcement officers charged with upholding civil
order. One must wonder why it is that educated thinkers in government
ever allowed themselves the folly of lumping in with theft and
violence someone sitting in a quiet place smoking a joint. One means
harm and must be restrained by law and force of right, the other is
simply pursuing a non-addictive sensation of well-being.
