| Lying
to children never works and disinformation in the service of politics is
not education. Our government would do the nation a great service if it
stopped hiding behind the myths of marijuana's dangers and instead
filled the leadership role it is supposed to play in developing a humane
marijuana policy, grounded on valid scientific analysis. The American public, especially our children, deserves nothing
less. By Deborah Jacobs ACLU-NJ Executive Director |
I am wondering what it would take to spark an honest debate on the American drug policy. There are judges, doctors, professors and Nobel laureates who would love to provide the American public with what it truly deserves: a balanced debate on an issue that affects us all. For instance, alcohol is a drug, used primarily to escape reality. Alcohol is a dangerous drug for a handful of reasons: It has a fatal level of consumption. As the consumption increases, the user's awareness and operational skills decrease. It is highly addictive and causes more fatalities than all other drugs combined. Prolonged use causes permanent damage to the brain and internal organs. Yet, despite the dangers surrounding the drug alcohol, we no longer see alcohol dealers engaging in turf wars or recruiting children to peddle their products and kill the competition or those who cannot pay their debts. We no longer see law enforcement agencies becoming corrupt over the illegal alcohol market. We no longer see politicians pandering to the anti-alcohol movement. We no longer see under-aged kids patronizing alcohol dope dens (speak easys). We don't see our government spending billions of dollars annually to rid the world of alcohol. Also, organized crime lost its entire share of the alcohol market to honest Americans who now earn tax dollars for our government and provide honest jobs for the American work force. Alcohol addicts lost the stigma of criminality and gained access to legitimate treatment programs. I personally feel that it is time for America to learn from its last failed Prohibition. Obviously, a lot of Americans are not satisfied with the drug alcohol and prefer to use other drugs instead, but only alcohol users are allowed to enjoy the luxury of legality. Let's end these racist and discriminatory laws and at least take murder, corruption and government waste out of the drug problem. |
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| Marijuana can be
used as a safer substitute for alcohol. People use marijuana and alcohol
for the same reason: they enjoy the mind-altering qualities of the
substances. Instead of getting drunk, people could get high on marijuana
-- and it would be better for them. Dr. Leslie Iverson of Oxford
University found that marijuana was less toxic than alcohol and high
drivers were less dangerous on the roads than drunk drivers (Woolf)(1.). He was
quoted as saying that "Cannabis is a safer drug than aspirin and
can be used long-term without serious side effects."
Smoking marijuana is much less harmful to the body than alcohol. In a typical year, over 150,000 people die because of alcohol (Family Council on Drug Awareness). There has never been a death caused by marijuana, not even one. In fact, more people die from using aspirin than from using marijuana. |
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| 1. US Department of Transportation Study 1993 (most recent) "Marijuana and Actual Driving Performance" shows that Marijuana is much safer than Alcohol when driving. |
