Friday, March 2, 2012

Legalize: the Unbiased Perspective of a Non-smoker


     The debate on whether or not Marijuana should be legalized is one that may on go for multiple years without any changes in its implementation; I'm here to tell you, as a non-smoker, why I think the legalization of Marijuana might turn out to be of greater good for this country.  First of all, the amount of time and effort that law enforcement puts into enforcing drug laws, in particular marijuana laws, is quite excessive.  I personally believe that the government is too concerned with being an authoritarian father figure and trying to tell us how to live our lives, as opposed to be being authoritative and allowing us to make our own decisions.  What I mean by that is that the government tries too hard to control our lives, as opposed to leading us in a direction where we can make smart decisions for our own benefits. As long as smoking pot doesn't put somebody's life in danger, I see no reason to abolish it.
     Now, I understand that the government would rather not take the risk of having a whole bunch of potheads walking around scott-free, however I see no harm in it.  Marijuana, from what I know and what I've observed, is a happy drug.  I know many people who smoke pot because they consider it a vacation from the hardships in reality.  Marijuana is not the type of drug to provoke violent action or things of that sort; if anything, marijuana does the complete opposite of that.  Here's my point, if the government believes that marijuana might contribute to criminal acts, then they might as well make alcohol illegal, because it is proven to make an individual aggressive after a good amount of consumption.  Alcohol, in my opinion, poses more of a threat to society than Marijuana.
    Regardless of whether or not Marijuana is legalized, people who find the need to spark a flight to la la land will always find a way to do so.  I believe, in fact, that the thrill of knowing that it's illegal contributes to the desire of individuals to smoke pot.  America, since its foundation, has been know to be a rebellious nation.  From the Boston Tea Party to the actual Declaration of Independence, America is known to be a nation takes pride in not conforming to rules, be it good or bad.  Americans have naturally adopted this trait.  Americans take pride in doing the "wrong" thing and getting away with it, or living by their own rules.  I believe that the thrill contributes to the amount of pot smokers that there is today to some extent.  Legalization might decrease that.
     Marijuana could also be a great source of revenue for this country.  With the amount of money spent on marijuana on a daily basis, taxation could be a great source of financial gain for the country.  This money could be used to better education and regain the top ranks as the best education system in the world, among other things.  California, for example, serves as great proof that legalization can be an excellent source of revenue.  The state is projected to save over 200 million dollars in law enforcement costs, while gaining over 300 million in state taxes.  There's no doubt that the legalization of Marijuana could be a great boost to our economy.
     Finally, I think that law enforcement should focus their attention on matters that actually affect the well being of society, not a drug that makes one a couch potato who consumes so many potato products that they might even turn into one.  With the current overcrowding of prisons, it is fair to label possession/smoking of Marijuana a petty crime that doesn't warrant time behind bars.  Considering that half of property/violent crimes today aren't solved, law enforcement should perhaps focus their attention on that, not Marijuana.  The choice of whether or not to smoke pot should be a decision that a person makes after analyzing the pros and cons of its effect on the individual's life.  That decision shouldn't be the concern of the government.  As long as law enforcement provides a safe environment for all, they are doing their job, and that's all that matters.

Photo Credit:
medicalmarijuanasociety.org

3 comments:

  1. I agree and disagree with this. I don't think it's fair to say that America is a rebellious nation and that be a reason to why people smoke pot. In other nations, they lack a lot of the freeedoms we have, but also enjoy freedoms we don't exercise - perhaps because those nations are not as selfish and thirsty to drain all of their citizens of their money and other freedoms as America tends to be. I think it's about other nations realizing that the decriminalization of marijuana has actually benefited their profits as well as kept non-criminals out of their prisons to make room for the real ones. "America has become a police state that is moving quickly toward total surveillance" - I personally don't feel safe here...I don't think this is a safe environment when government is allowed a total control over the freedoms and privacy of Americans. The gov allows serious offenders, murderers, rapists - to be imprisoned with someone who's simply dealt with a plant... & in my opinion, the biggest reason pot isn't legal is because our SELFISH government can't make a profit off of it. I think that's where your "controlling" point comes in...the government loves to have control over everyone's life and their money especially, I don't feel protected - rather,I feel violated by the government...but I honestly don't think the rate of people using marijuana would change if it were legalized. Most likely, the government would put a tax on it that is far more expensive than obtaining the drug illegally - so there will always be people breaking the law regardless of what step the gov takes. I definitely agree that our government focuses their attention on petty matters instead of addressing the issues effecting the majority of people at large. Good blog post fammm, sorry- I'm feeling kinda chatty today haha

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  2. You made some good points. In regards to the rebellious nature of Americans, I think it plays a part, although minimal. Trying anything new as a kid is usually a result of wanting to do something that is "bad" just so you can feel "badass." Some of these habits tend to stick, that's the way i see it at least

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  3. You don't feel safe here?!?! My family immigrated here because we didn't feel safe in our native land. Not because we felt like the government was too harsh on our ability to smoke weed or stupid shit like that, but because there were terrorist groups trying to seize control of the state. Our security was in immediate danger. The US has always been known as the city upon the hill and it will always be that way. I get so mad at foolish Americans that complain about this great nation like it's so horrible, go to a 3rd world country and learn to appreciate the more basic things in life.

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