I don't even 100% know why this is a debate because it's all about personal preference right? People who prefer weed will argue for weed, people who enjoy alcohol will argue for alcohol. There are countless websites that will tell you all kinds of info about both of them and they'll try to sway your opinion and whatever. (Have you ever been to marijuana.com? It's actually hilarious because everyone who posts comments on there is like the most typical stoner. Check it out and have a laugh, but remember that stuff they post on there about marijuana is super biased.)
That being said, let's get it out there that I do not smoke "the pot." I'm not just saying this because my mommy or grandma might read this, I'm saying it because it's true. I don't do it. This is a personal choice. And without getting into any more details, that is that.
But I do not condemn those who do smoke. I don't care. Just keep it away from me and I'm happy. (I have mixed feelings about the smell of weed. Sometimes I don't mind it and sometimes I want to rip off the heads of those people who are polluting my precious air. So you should probably just keep it away from me.)
On the other hand, I do enjoy consuming alcohol from time to time. I DON'T enjoy getting blackout drunk and throwing up in hot tubs. So here's the first point against alcohol: Too much of it. I know, you can smoke too much weed and green out. Yes, that's a thing. But it happens a lot less often. Although I might argue that people who black out often probably also smoke weed while they're drinking, but that's a stereotype and stereotypes are bad so pretend I didn't even bring that up. (But I did bring it up and it's pretty accurate.)
Blacking out aside, alcohol in a small amount is great. It's social, it's "sophisticated," and it gives you that super happy feeling inside. And it's LEGAL. There's a big point against the pot. I don't care what anyone says about how harmless it is, pot is illegal until it's legal. And we have to assume there are reasons for that. I know, it's often unenforced in some countries, and it's essentially legal in some (did you know that pot isn't technically legal in the Netherlands, they just don't enforce the laws at all?) but it's illegal in most places. When you can buy pot at a corner store, we can start up a whole different conversation.
And then there's this whole idea held by extreme pot smokers and a lot of other people too, that you can't get addicted to weed. It's true, addiction to weed is nothing like cocaine or heroin. There aren't any physical withdrawal symptoms from weed, but you can become psychologically addicted, that's a known fact. And of course, alcoholism is a huge deal and it affects tons of people, but at least people who drink alcohol can admit that it's possible to be addicted.
Here is my biggest problem with weed though, and it's where I'm going to end this tiny debate. For the most part, unless someone is an alcoholic or an idiot, people do not drink alcohol while they're going about their daily things. However, people seem to think it's okay to smoke weed whenever they feel like it throughout the day and everything will be fine. Well, guess what? No, it's not fine. People drive while high, work while high, take care of their kids while high. YOU'RE HIGH! I don't care how functional you think you are. You're still under the influence of a substance. Your reaction time is impaired, you're not thinking your best. If your day is so difficult that you need to smoke weed to get through it, well guess what, buddy? You have a psychological addiction, congratulations.
And it's not like people aren't going to notice. Not everyone is super naive. People know.
So that's my biggest argument, and I feel like it trumps anything you have to say about alcohol. Yes, I know people DO drive while drunk, but it's a lot less common than driving while high. And that's scary.
Anyway, I'm hoping to get a huge argument going in the comments.... so let me know what you think about the whole thing.
Despite the illegality of marijuana, you contend that there is no problem with its use so long as it is done privately. This is not the stance one should take if one is against marijuana. Specifically, this is not the stance one should take if they wish to keep marijuana as an illegal substance. The argument you have put forth is that if there is no one around at a stop light, you don't mind if they run the red.
ReplyDeleteSo for you, as long as people's decisions are not interfering with your life or the lives of others then you do not care what they do. But does the use of marijuana, or alcohol for that matter, interfere with the consumer's life? Yes it does. The degree to which each affects the consumer's health is not in question (you would be amazed by the unbiased information on the negative effects of both substances). The most important issue is how the illegality of marijuana affects the lives of those who use it.
The vast majority of marijuana users are not "stoners". A significant portion of Canada, and North America in general, are recreational consumers of marijuana. By significant, I do not mean 10% - the numbers are closer to 60%. Of this 60%, only a small fraction are considered "heavy users". Despite some careless individuals, marijuana consumption is a common activity for the majority of Canada.
The majority of Canadians are at risk of potentially being incarcerated. Whether marijuana is consumed publicly or privately, it is still illegal and users are having to deal with the consequences. But if the majority of Canadians engage in this activity, laws should be changed.
Marijuana should not be legalized. Legalization leads to industrialization. The industrialization of cigarettes and alcohol has cost the lives of many. What should be done is decriminalization. This is the drug policy that Norway has embraced. Decriminalization does not mean legal. Decriminalized marijuana means that a consumer of marijuana cannot face criminal charges. However, marijuana users can be fined. Fines would be imposed on public use.
Decriminalization is a win-win situation for the particular and the whole. Those who oppose marijuana use would not have to see their society become inundated with marijuana advertising due to its industrialization and legalization. The recreational users could continue their private use and not fear the possibility of being labeled as a criminal.
The effects of marijuana's illegality is far greater than its possible damages to one's health. If we care about our citizens, if we care about our public safety, if we care about our "unpolluted air", then let us decriminalize marijuana. This would benefit Canadian society as a whole.
Let us make our stop lights temporary. Let us equip them with a motion sensor: If anyone is around, the lights turn on to ensure everyone's safety. But if no one is on the road at that time, then the light is always GREEN !
Thanks so much for sharing your opinion. I definitely enjoyed reading it. I sense you may have given this particular speech before. Haha! I agree with you completely. I don't want to see weed legalized but I also don't think people should be thrown in jail because of it.
DeleteAnd what you said was true, as long as it's not interfering with my life, I don't mind. That being said, a fair number of people close to me do use it, and so are at risk of punishment. I guess that's something I didn't really think about while I was writing.
Thanks again for sharing. Gave me something to think about.
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