Mary-jane, is the dance really worth it?

by William Simon

The legalization of marijuana is a constant debate we hear about, and one which you as a college student more than likely have an opinion on by now. Though many people feel that finding different ways to tax and use this substance to help our economy rather than hinder it, I personally feel that these thoughts are narrow-minded. In the bigger picture, the legalization of marijuana, even with regulations, would have a series of negative effects on many different aspects of our community and economy. In economical terms, the marginal costs of this decision would far outweigh the addtional benefits.

Before thinking of only monetary motivations for our government to do such a thing, we must first examine ourselves and think of how we'd react to the decision to make weed legal. If marijuana were to be legalized, taxed, and distributed in some way, the strain of marijuana used would not be potent. As humans, we always want either more than what we have, or desire what we can't have or do. If weed were to be put on the market, there would still be just as much on the black market as more potent strains, and probably more people looking to buy it due to them experimenting with "legal" bud. Many users defend that weed is not a "gateway drug", though through my personal experience of once being an avid recreational user for many years, as well as seeing 100% of the people I've associated with begin their drug abuse with weed and at least try one other different kind of mind altering substance afterwords, including myself, I feel it is safe to say that weed is realistically a gateway drug. If it were to be made legal, it would also increase the experimental usage of other drugs by people who would of otherwise stayed clean. To summarize this point, more people will become dependant on more dangerous forms of drugs because they will search for a higher level of intoxication as tolerance builds from "legal" weed.

Most jobs drug test for marijuana. This is because marijuana is one of the few drugs that when you're an avid user, it can be easily detected, and won't be mistaken for other prescribed medications. With daily use, it can be detected from 7 up to 30 days, and weekly use 3 to 9 days. Other drugs are not so easy to distinguash and detect. Commonly used drugs such as cocaine is detectable up to 78 hours. Dextromethorphan, or DXM, up to 5 days, though its legal in normal dosage in the form of such OTC medications as cough syrup. LSD is difficult and expensive to test for and only detectable up to 72 hours, and opium up to 48 hours. Many of these drug test are eligible to be set off by legal substances and dosages. Weed syphons out potental drug abusers from our work force. If one isn't willing enough to quit smoking for the two weeks to get a job, then he or she is probably an abuser. If it were made legal, these test would all be more costly, tedious, and diffcult to perform.

In a monetary point of view most think the government would largely benefit from the legalization of marijuana. I feel that certain things would make that gap of money gained smaller than what we think when we don't examine it closely. We must consider other factors. For example, If it were legalized many smokers of cigarettes may consider just buying weed instead to relieve stress and pressure, or visa versa. Thus nearly the same amount of revenue is gained in the economy. Also, we would still be spending the same amount of money and resources trying to fight against the more powerful illegal strains of marijuana which will still be sold on the streets. Finally, the money spent on fines and bails help to close the gap gained by taxation, and keeps our well paid police force busy, as well as other agencies such as people who work in Drug and Alcohol institutions, which usually has a mandatory class that must be taken after being busted with weed. One more point to note in regards to the combination of smokers of cigarettes and marijuana in the economy is that more health issues would arise, thus more money would be spent trying to fight these health concerns.

For those of you users who defend it and want it legal just because you love it, think of the bigger picture. If everyone was doing it, would you still want to? It would definately take alot out of the experience. Just as when one turns twenty-one, the thrill of drinking alcohol diminishes. Just as when we get our license, we no longer want to drive. It can be applied to pretty much anything we're restricted from. It's human nature. The problem is, we then take it to the next level. After we turn twenty-one, we drink and drive. After we get bored of driving, we take it to the next level and speed. If the speed limits 55, we'll drive 60. We're never satisfied. If weed were legal, we would turn to the next best alternative, which would probably be some more dangerous form of intoxication.

So, in summation, legalizing marijuana would not benefit our economy. We would still be spending "countless resources" trying to monitor the trafficing of more potent stains of marijuana, as well as having to pay the non monetary consequences of making this decision, such as the few I stated throughout this blog entry. As I said, the marginal cost is far greater than the additonal benefit.