Back when we were reading “The Botany of Desire”, Michael Pollan introduced the topic of drugs, specifically cannabis. He began by discussing why plants produce these intoxicating compounds and then talked about the history of marijuana. He also noted how the marijuana plant has evolved to become larger, more resilient and more potent after the advent of the anti-drug campaign. What I’m still confused about is how exactly did this “war ignite and what is the reasoning behind it? In my opinion, the war against drugs seems as futile as the claim that global warming does not exist. Cannabis is not only deeply rooted in religion but countless influential people such as Aldous Huxley, artists like Salvador Dali, infinite musicians as well as many politicians. Compared to alcohol which is linked to violence and sexual assaults, marijuana has no direct correlation to violent acts. There are no valid scientific studies that it’s more detrimental to a person’s health than is alcohol. Also, a huge amount of tax money is poured into government media that targets marijuana, yet studies show that 3 in 4 people feel that the war on drugs has failed.
With all these facts that seem to nullify this taboo and undermine the campaign against drugs, why does this negative connotation still exist? Maybe it is the omnipresent fear of the unfamiliar but marijuana gives a new and different perspective on the world and life in general. This different way of thinking should be celebrated and taken advantage of because who wants to go through life with the same views (that can lead to ignorance). Marijuana doesn’t have a to be a gateway to harmful drugs, but a gateway to new creative and original ways of thinking that could potentially make great improvements in society as opposed to hindering it.
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The war on drugs is necessary. However, marijuana should not be classified in the war on drugs or even a drug at all. There is nothing addictive about marijuana and nothing harmful about it. It can cause lung cancer? Well so can smoking cigarettes or breathing in harmful pollutants in our enviroment. If marijuana is considered a drug than why is not shopping or lifting weights considered a drug. They are things that people do a lot that make them feel good or give them some type of euphoria. The problem with society is a few ignorant people make laws that tell us marijuana is wrong without any conrete evidence. Than society refuses to question what is right or wrong but sat it is wrong just because it is the LAW. Well laws are made by man and man is not always right. Those who try to bad talk marijuana are just plain ingnorant. In fact, most probaly have not even smoked marijuana but they already have their opinion about it. Also, society also tries to spoon feed us this gateway drug bullshit. Actually for a lot of pot users, not using marijuana is a gateway drug. If one is not able to smoke pot than they are more likely to try harder drugs so they can feel that high rather than smoking a plant. However, this is all going to die down anyways because our economy is shit and the legal distribution and taxing of marijuana will boost our economy just like FDR ended Prohibition during the Great Depression in order to create jobs and help boost the economy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kevin and Gina. Our cultural acceptance of alchohol is far greater than it is of marijuana, when in fact statistics show that alchohol is by far more dangerous. I would also agree with pollan when he says that the reason marijuana is so scorned is that it seems to sybolize to those in power a subculture that threatens to undermine order. I think that this feeling is directly linked to our current view of nsociety.ature. We feel that we need to work against and conquer nature, and the idea of working with nature and using it to reach an altered, peacful state of mind flys in the face of that view. The name "the War on drugs" reflects that in American culutre we have to go to war against everything that doesnt seem to fit rigidly in the model of a christian captialist
ReplyDeleteI want to first say that I agree with Gina and Kevin to a point. Although shopping, steroids lifting, and sex(most circumstances), and alcohol are all legal acts, they have been true to be more dangerous to an individual psychologically, financially, and career wise. Addiction to power as well. However, there was a guy named Ken Kesey, who just died in 2001, who was all about "LSD Experiments". This was during the anti-psychiatry movement in the early 1960's. The experiments were conducted by psychiatrists to "open the mind". Meanwhile, at Stanford University, Ken landed a job in a mental hospital, would drop acid, and eventually, became famous for writing "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 1964. The movie, later made in 1975, won multiple Oscars, including "Best Picture". This is a great film emphasizing nature vs. modern civilization. So...go figure, makes one wonder about the effects of drugs on the individual and the many talented writers, like King who is alcoholic, musicians, hell...politicians smoke pot!
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna have disagree with the argument that this war on drugs is neccessary. Personally I am no into drugs at all, however, I have been around people on drugs and selling drugs most of my life. It seems people think that drugs such as cocaine and heroine cause more problems due to the negatives effects they cause on the body. throughout my life i have found that this not true. In poorer neighborhoods you many people hooked on drugs but also many people selling drugs. More often than not it is the one selling drugs that is in prison or dead. I don't want to sound dramatic but it's a reality! The ban on drugs causes more gang related violence and killings than anything else. Just say all drugs were legalized, would you start taking them? The way i see it, is if you want to take certain rugs your gonna find one way or another to get your hands on them and very often violence can come into this equation. However, if all drugs were legalized and you start taking them, there wouldn't be so much money surrounding the issue and therefore would be less violence surrounding them. I can't tell you what would happen if all drugs were legalized tomorrow, but I am almost sure that in the long run there would be less violence and less crime, especially in inner cities.
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