Narcotics consumption is, as it’s always been, a supply and demand issue.
Thus far, we’ve focused on eliminating the supply, or rather, attempting to. I really don’t see a lot of success in that endeavor.
So we must then address demand, and what we must ask ourselves is the simplest of all questions; “Why do people want to get high?”
Is it because they feel their life is intolerable, or depressing, or whatever, and they utilize narcotics as a means of escape from the drudgery of their daily grind?
Or is it, as I believe personally, that altering one’s state of consciousness and perception is intrinsic to human nature? Arguably, people choose to alter their perceptions of the day-to-day realities of life through methods such as contemplation of philosophical abstractions, religious rites, meditation, the list goes on and on. Some alter their perception of reality on a smaller scale, through a beer after work to relieve the stresses of the day, or as I do, by smoking a Marlboro when I get stressed out.
If, as I believe, the desire to alter our perceptions of reality are fundamentally basic to our being human, then the logical answer is to legalize narcotics. Personally, I’d rather see possession and consumption decriminalized at the Federal level, and let the states do as they please. When all is said and done, I do not believe that any government, any man has the right in any way whatsoever to tell me what I can and cannot put in my body; the job of government is not to save people from themselves.
I am well aware of the arguments against it; what if some hophead kills someone while they’re high? You put them in jail, same as you would with anyone else. For me, intoxication is no excuse to commit crimes. I’ve been drunk, and yes, I’ll admit, high, and never once on those rare occasions have I felt the irresistible urge to out and rob a 7-11 at gunpoint.
The “War on Drugs” has become little more than a catch-all excuse for various forms of petty tyranny. Put an end to it, and reclaim some measure of freedom.
Catching a buzz of some kind or another is deeply engrained in the human brain, part of our relaxation instinct I think. Notice 2 of the things you find in every culture is some sort of mind altering substance, and a form of group entertainment (mind altering activity). Trying to keep a society from doing drugs is like trying to keep a society from performing comedy, you can make a lot of laws and a lot of money enforcing those laws, but in the end people are going to do what their core instinct tells them to.
“Why do people want to get high?”
Duh. It makes you high.
“what if some hophead kills someone while they’re high? You put them in jail, same as you would with anyone else.”
Yes, exactly. Why drug warriors can’t see this is beyond me. The idea, I guess, is that with everyone doing drugs as often as they want they’ll be a lot more crimes: too many to handle. Except anyone can use as much as they want now, and that’s with the Drug War.
There is nothing moral or Christian about putting people in jail for marijuana, it is oppression..most likely driven by the federal “G” gangsta for the business..folks are much better off not involved with drugs, but to judge others on such an issue is to invite judgement,,there has been a lot of pain issued on decent folks in the name of mistaken morality..
the ten commandments are the rules for our lives, it displays God’s desire for our moral centers..and allows for people to live many different styles of lives while keeping their lives between the ditches of life’s road..any other morally based issues are man made and oppressive..
seek God, all else will pass into obscurity, too bad folks feel the need to imprison others to make themselves feel justified..