ALLERGIES AND ADDICTIONS

Just say no to corn. That's my current motto.

It's just for me - I don't want to force it on anyone else. But,
personally, corn abstinence is the right thing.

There was a time in my life when I had lots of asthma attacks. The
attacks were more or less daily events.

When I started to take a close look a when those attacks occurred, I
realized many were precipitated by eating corn. I did a little
research and learned that there are people who are indeed allergic
to corn, so I decided to try and avoid the substance for a while.

A strange thing happened. The asthma attacks decreased in frequency
and severity. They didn't disappear altogether until years later
when I looked at other activities and events in my life that seemed
to impact the asthma attacks.

But saying no to corn helped to get the ball rolling.

Giving up corn isn't necessarily an easy thing to do, particularly
if you eat a typical American diet with frequent portions of
processed fast food. Corn is hidden in many foods (just about
anything that mentions "high fructose" or "modified food starch" on
a label is suspect), but it's more difficult than that. Corn is
hidden in many things I find tasty: most candy bars, many bakery
sweets, most ice creams and so on.

Just thinking about a sticky-chewy-crunchy-sweet Snickers bar right
now gets the old salivary glands pumping a bit. But I'm not going to
have one, as I know the sensation of constricted lungs and other
allergic reactions are not worth the taste.

For me, the negatives outweigh the positives, and thus I try my best
to abstain.

Many people who have problems with substances may not realize the
point when they've passed from beneficial use into detrimental use.
However, as the benefits dwindle while the problems accumulate, the
reality becomes difficult to ignore.

Some people give up at that point; some don't. But those who do give
up tend to make the decision on their own, without coercion from the
government or anyone else.

Our current model of prohibition suggests that by outlawing certain
drugs for everyone, fewer people will reach the point of addiction
when a substance's harms outweigh its benefits. But that makes
little more sense than outlawing corn for everyone to protect me
from my allergies.

A prohibition on corn might make the world less confusing for me,
but why should all the people who enjoy a little corn on the cob be
forced into the black market for produce?

This may seem like a silly question, but we are entering the season
when state, local and federal government resources will be spent to
eradicate wild hemp all over the nation. Rising gas prices won't
stop it; all the great benefits of hemp won't stop it; the fact that
no one gets high off the stuff won't stop it.

The helicopters will be flying and those mostly THC-free leaves will
be burning allegedly to save someone somewhere from the dangers of
evil marijuana - even though most Americans handle their cannabis
just fine without major problems.

A small percentage of people who try common foods eventually learn
they have allergies. A small percentage of people who try drugs find
themselves addicted. Both of those small groups need to take
responsibility for themselves to avoid substances they find
dangerous.

That doesn't mean everyone needs to be protected, and it doesn't
mean that prohibition offers that desired protection.

So, I'll continue to say no to corn, and anyone who wants can say no
to other substances is welcome to make that choice. But, we would
all be better if we could also just say no to prohibition.