MELLOW OUT PEOPLE: IT'S JUST A LITTLE MARIJUANA

The Senate's recommendation earlier this week to legalize marijuana is
certainly going to create a lot of dialogue, controversy, soul searching
and fanaticism. Any threat of change always does.

One fact I hope people can remain clear-headed enough to consider is this:
Legalizing a substance (and a relatively harmless one at that) will
markedly decrease its use and abuse in the long-term.

That was the point the Senate was trying to make and I'd agree with them
for that reason alone. Another factor to consider is that people regularly
put their considerable capacity for creativity to use in devising bigger,
better ways of harming themselves and killing off brain cells.

Can you imagine the uproar in the industrialized world if I - with the
benevolent backing of the Senate, of course - called for a ban on gasoline
because there are some children and adults who are killing themselves by
sniffing the vile substance? Oh, and we'd have to put LePage's Glue out of
business, too.

The thing is, these substances are already legal. Much like over-the-
counter drugs, a cornucopia of "medically approved" drugs and herbal
remedies, not to mention those less-than-health-promoting cell phones,
microwaves, electronically produced radiation and guns.

I honestly believe people have an almost unlimited capacity to harm
themselves. Mind you, a shocking percentage of those same people will put a
tremendous amount of energy into blaming anyone they can for their
self-inflicted harm.

Whether you've ever used it or not, pot is relatively harmless. If you're
determined to harm yourself there are infinitely better, faster methods
than sparking up a spliff and mellowing out on the couch and wolfing down
brownies.

Many young people try drugs simply because they are testing their
socially-imposed limits and trying to make up their own minds about things.
If pot were legal, readily available and as heavily taxed as cigarettes,
there wouldn't be the mysticism and "coolness" about it there is now.

How many people are aware that in the Second World War the government of
Russia made it illegal to smoke tobacco because it was so expensive and
encouraged people to smoke pot instead?

My point is, North Americans in particular, have a huge hang-up about
marijuana simply because at some point years ago someone decided it was
"bad." It's not inherently bad, anymore so than any other substance. It
just depends on whether or not the user is hell-bent on harming himself.
And if he is, he or she will do so whether it is legal or not.

Legalizing pot will take the mystery out of it and kids will no longer be
attracted to it in the way they are now. When I was a kid, cigarettes were
cool and I took up smoking. I eventually decided cool wasn't all it was
cracked up to be and quit. A generation later, my son thinks cigarettes are
revolting and will likely never even try one.

I think it's a matter of maturing as a society and taking responsibility
for what we choose to do to ourselves. Just because some fear mongering
types are terrified of a little herb doesn't make it a bad thing; it's
still just a herb to be used as people see fit. Moderation, people.

So, I say legalize it, let the government tax it and give me a break on
back-to-school supplies and relax about it all.