DRUGS AND PROHIBITION: WHAT'S THE PRICE TO PAY?

There has never been a drug-free society in the history of mankind,
and there is no evidence of any changing trends. So, it's safe to say
that the use of recreational drugs is a natural part of human society.
However, nature is composed of things good and bad, so simply because
drug use is "natural" doesn't mean that it's beneficial for either the
individual or society. Certain drugs help the body heal and relieve
pain, while others provide short-term pleasure at the risk of
long-term health problems.

I believe in individual freedom to do with yourself as you please, as
long as your actions are harmless to others. We have no reason to
believe that our body belongs to anyone but ourselves, so the final
choice should be ours to make. Certain religious sects may disagree
with this, and they should be free to follow through with their
beliefs, as long as they don't impose it on others (it would be
inappropriate to tell me that your god owns my body). No doubt this is
a controversial topic, but when people begin talking about making
public decisions related to drug prohibition, the issue becomes even
more controversial.

In my opinion, most anti-drug laws are doing little to solve the real
problem that our society faces. The current plan is to prohibit the
use of some drugs, and fine and imprison those who still use these
substances. Unfortunately, it's hard to oppress a part of human nature
that has endured for thousands of years. This is the major flaw of
prohibition: It cuts the legal supply of drugs, but does very little
about the demand.

Remember what happened with the US alcohol prohibition of the 20s? The
government decided it would be best if alcohol was wiped out of the
legal market. Suddenly, alcohol went from plentiful to rare, and we
all know that rare things are worth a lot more! Naturally, the black
market realized this and started making illegal booze. Before
prohibition, the market produced inexpensive, reliable booze that
produced tax dollars and was available only to those who were of age.
During prohibition, the black market produced unreliable and sometimes
dangerous alcohol to anyone who could pay. The revenues produced by
the alcohol no longer went to the government, but to the black market,
allowing shady characters to gain power and wealth. Prohibition or
not, the people still wanted their sweet juice.

Thankfully, Canada and USA have both changed their ways since that
time. They have made billions of tax dollars from alcohol and tobacco
(that would have been consumed anyway) while providing quality
regulated merchandise to the public. They have also created many
harm-reduction campaigns to fight the problems arising from society's
use of alcohol and tobacco, such as drunk driving and lung cancer.
This seems to be a more effective way of reducing damage caused by
drugs, than simply cutting the legal supply and hoping for all else to
fall into place.

The Canadian government has found ways of incorporating tobacco and
alcohol into society so that the benefits (tax revenues, individual
freedom) are emphasized, and the costs (health risks, price) are
reduced and made clear to the public. But our government, like most
governments, has failed to do the same with other drugs, such as marijuana.

Today, we continue with our marijuana prohibition without any
conclusive evidence that marijuana is wreaking havoc on the individual
and society. We are restricting the personal freedom of our citizens,
while passing all the potential tax benefits of marijuana sales to
drug dealers. Politicians and policy makers need to take a bold
approach to overcome social taboos around marijuana use, and do what
is best for the individual and society: STOP THE PROHIBITION.