As election time nears, discussions of
Marijuana legalization or decriminalization heats up. We see leading
prospective 2016 president wannabes such as Govs. Christie and Perry
expressing their views on Marijuana. Their views are likely to
represent the GOP pack, and likely some of the Democratic candidates
“Gov. Chris Christie says he will
'never' permit legalized marijuana use while he’s the governor of
New Jersey “
He and others cite a study that casual
marijuana use could be detrimental to the human brain. This study
could be correct, but the effects of drugs on the human biology plays
no part in this writing. There are many things legal that do great
harm to our bodies, such as smoking tobacco and alcohol use topping
the list. Efforts to ban either of those go nowhere. In fact, crime
became so prevalent because of alcohol prohibition that an Amendment
was passed to once again allow sale.
Christie also said: “I am not
going to be the governor who’s going to tell our children and our
young adults that marijuana use is okay. Because it’s not.”
While politicians are debating an
innocuous drug like marijuana we stand idly by as children are turned
into addicts. The greatest number of addicts aren't buying their
drugs from scurrilous dealers on the corner, but from those dressed
in white with the magical prescription pads. Our greatest number of
addicts aren't a result of illegal drugs, but those tightly
controlled by the federal government. Parents fear sending their
children to the seedy side of town where you find drug dealers, but
they will gladly push them into the waiting arms of the drug pusher
wearing white – the drug dealer who was given power by the state.
I need to establish this is not all
doctors and that some are only doing what they are taught best by
government controlled universities. Even doctors with the best
intentions can create addicts. I know, because I grew up with one of
those addicts. The sad fact was that no one realized at the time her
problems were a result of drugs prescribed by an all knowing doctor.
I would love to say that at least with
drug dealers being government representatives, that removes the
criminal element. In fact, the opposite is true. A system has been
created where pharmaceutical companies will take great extremes to
have their drugs approved. Too often we hear where people die because
a drug was approved too soon, or die because government refused to
approve a drug. Occasionally, we hear about someone flying to another
country for treatment that's not approved in the USA. The left is
always telling us the wealthy have an unfair advantage. In this type
of instance that does appear to be the case.
We have two avenues for drug
distribution, one filled with street crime and the other other filled
with white collar crime. We must ask, which is the worse? I'm not
sure there is a lot of difference except white collar crime is well
hidden from public eyes and less likely to be prosecuted.
What's the difference between a heroin
addict and a Dilaudid addict? The difference is the dealer. One might wear a hoodie while
the other a white doctor's coat. We all know drug abuse destroys
lives no matter the source.
All we have to do is turn on the
television to find a stream of pharmaceutical advertisements. While
the picture is one of tranquility and soothing music, we are
bombarded with a list of deadly side effects. The fact these ads are
on televisions tell us they work. Despite the long list of
potentially deadly side effects, people clamber to their doctor
asking for these drugs.
People will seek ways to escape life no
matter how much force government uses. Government cannot ban
chemistry and the long list of chemical combinations that can be
turned into drugs. Many of those combinations are much more dangerous
than those provided naturally by nature. The war on drugs has done
almost nothing to slow drug use. If nothing else, it might be the
cause of more addicts because people will seek out legal prescription
drugs.
It sickens me when I see Republicans
like Chris Christie play the child card as an excuse to continue drug
prohibition. Democrats have been slammed for decades for telling us
we need laws because it's to keep the children safe. To even say they
want to stop drug use to prevent crime is a misnomer. In some of the
mildest suburban neighborhoods drug use is rampant, yet they have
little or no crime. Politicians are using age old fear tactics to
help maintain the police state.
Recently, I was talking to my friend
about being robbed. The police were useless. They made no effort to
find the robber despite the fact he just left my premises. I live
three miles from the sheriff's department, which tells me their
arrival couldn't have taken long. I was even holding someone who
might have been involved, but he was not even detained. My friend
suggested that I should have told them I thought they had drugs to
spur them into action.
If my incident had drugs involved that
could have padded their statistics to receive more state and federal
funds, which would have spurred them to action. The drug war is a
source of funding for law enforcement. With any matter we have only
to follow the money to find the truth.
In states that are dominated by the
Democratic Party, drug legalization has moved at a snail's pace –
often at it's best, all that gets passed is medicinal Marijuana. On the
right we have those who shout angrily about the encroaching police
state and how the war on drugs is at the root. Yet they will then
turn around and preach the evils of marijuana and fight legalization.
Left or right they talk a big game, but there is little action. Even
those citizens behind marijuana legalization will often balk at
ending drug prohibition.
As long as we continue playing the
politician's game we will forever be the pawn. The only way to win
this game is to stop playing. Prohibition has been proven to not
work. Banning guns doesn't end gun violence. Banning drugs only
creates more gun violence. The only way to get the criminal drug
dealer off the streets peddling to your children is to give the
income to legitimate business owners who will protect your children.
At one time we had people dying from moonshine made in stills with
lead laden car radiators. Would you feel safer buying that next drink
from a toxic still or the bartender in the local pub? Drugs are no
different. Too often the danger of snorting cocaine is the base
compound with which it's cut, not the drug itself.
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