Drugs

I've favored legalization of marijuana for as long as I can remember and never favored Prohibition. Toxic brain-killing alcohol is legal, whereas marijuana, which is less toxic than aspirin, is strictly prohibited. This is a symptom of collective insanity. Human beings require medication in order to correct their psychosis. The medication of choice is, of course, marijuana. Perhaps that would put an end to a lot of other nonsense around the world as well, besides just the drug laws.

I think any amount of marijuana is okay, from a ton to a gram. Creating arbitrary amounts that are illegal is silly and points to the ignorance of politicians. Weed is a plant, and it varies greatly in potency, if potency refers to the inebriating principle, which is what folks get their panties in a knot about. Guess what? It is possible for a gram of marijuana to have higher potency than a ton of marijuana. People suffer from ignorance of the plant, which is the same reason that the plant became illegal in the first place. Learn about the plant, and then form an opinion based upon facts rather than prejudice. The same rule applies to everything else under the sun: sexuality, race, gender, religion, philosophy, and so on. People that don't know anything are the main problem with the world today. Without education on simple matters, people make foolish choices based upon fear and prejudice.

There is really no reason to prohibit the possession of any amount of marijuana. Somehow human society survived without Prohibition for millennia, but suddenly nowadays, we are so feeble that the dreaded weed must be banned or else our brains will explode. Collective hysteria and the craving of drama is the reason for cannabis prohibition. People have such easy lives today, without starvation and disease and constant warfare, that they look around for other things to turn their lives into Hell, such as unnecessary laws and imaginary crimes. People heed Thanatos, want to die and want to suffer. This is a basic human need, stronger in some than others.

Regarding other drugs, I am not as certain whether I oppose prohibition. It is easy to make a case for legal pot, but legal meth is another matter altogether. Meth is clearly harmful to the user, toxic, and dangerous. Of course, soldiers used it in WW2, but war is a different can of beans, and we are considering civilian life, not war.

Philosophically, I'm opposed to prohibition of any kind of substance, even meth, on the grounds that the State has mandated compulsory education of its otherwise free citizens. Very well, then, you educated them for twelve long years, and once they reach the age of majority, they are free. Why should they not be free to make their own choices in regards to what they put into their bodies? That seems a fundamental freedom.

On the other hand, there are addictive personalities that succumb to the siren call of terrible things like meth, even though their rational mind knows better. Our desire for freedom conflicts with the nurturing desire to protect the mentally ill, the substance abusers who will consume poison even unto death. Then there is the public safety issue. People high on meth may indeed be prone to violence, and what about the victims? Haven't they rights too?

I believe some substances are so dangerous they should not be allowed to be sold, but mere possession should not be a felony. Drug laws should be lenient rather than draconian, because harm does not necessarily follow in every case following consumption of an illegal drug. Drug crimes are rather different than other types of crimes that clearly cause harm to others.

For a substance to be illegal, it must meet certain criteria. It must be highly addictive and cause withdrawal symptoms. It must be highly toxic and capable of causing an overdose. And it should be tempting, that is, there must be some basis for thinking the substance will be abused. Obviously, not many people are huffing gasoline, and society is not worried about the possession and distribution of gasoline.