LEGALIZING MARIJUANA WILL RUIN A GREAT CULTURE

As we coast through this election season, it seems that everyone has
knowledge on current and relevant issues: the economy, gas prices, gay
rights, etc. That said, there is one issue on the minds of American
youth that you don't have to wait until an election year to hear
about: Marijuana.

The fight for reform of weed laws has been quite a long battle -
nearly half a century and counting - but the pot smokers of America
refuse to relent. From their ongoing struggle against the woes of
prohibition, the cannabis consumers of our country have managed to
create what is now one of the nation's largest student organizations -
the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML.
After all the buildup I've crammed into this introduction, it will
probably surprise many readers that I think the legalization of
marijuana is a terrible idea.

Before I explain myself, I feel obligated to mention this: I have
nothing against pot smokers. Some of the nicest, most intelligent
people I know are frequent users, and almost everyone I know will
admit to trying it at least once in their lives. I honestly see
nothing wrong with purchasing or smoking marijuana, - after all, it
doesn't seem to have any negative effects, short or long term. It's
the lack of any real negative effects that make weed the most popular
illegal substance. I would never tell a pot smoker that what they are
doing is wrong or try to get them to stop because it just doesn't seem
like that big of a deal. That said, I myself have never participated
in such an activity; it's just not my style. I like the idea of
knowing that my zany thoughts sprout from a sober mind.

So why not legalize it? Simple logic: If pot becomes legal, it just
won't be interesting anymore. Marijuana is one of the only illegal
substances so influential in American culture that it's users have
developed a sub-culture of their own. Weed culture is a nationwide
phenomenon complete with films, music, books, stores and silly
T-shirts; all dedicated to America's favorite criminal pastime. It's a
culture with its own heroes, like Bob Marley, Willie Nelson, Cheech
and Chong. A pot leaf is more than just a picture of a drug; it is a
symbol that connects people to a lifestyle.

The birth and development of weed culture is not purely a result of
the drug's temporarily mind-altering effects - it's enticing because
it's illegal. People try pot because they aren't supposed to, and when
they realize how much they like it, they continue to use it in the
face of its illegality. By nature, humans are tempted to do what isn't
allowed. It's this natural rebelliousness that makes smoking weed such
an adventurous endeavor for many people, and it's that rebellious
feeling that all pot smokers share. Cultures are based on sharing.
Therefore, legal weed means cultural breakdown.

Imagine a world where pot becomes the cultural equivalent of smoking
cigarettes, something that is done, or not done, but cultureless
either way. Imagine how humorless, dramaless and boring the TV show
Weeds would be without the unrelenting threat of legal action. Imagine
a world where an organization like NORML suddenly becomes quite
abnormal because it has nothing left to fight for. When the battle is
over, the soldiers go home.