The Marijuana Debate

Well the debate of whether or not marijuana should be legalized for recreational use is heating up once again. The last major debate about this drug was whether it should be legal for medicinal use, well Alaska isn't being coy. The wonderful state of Alaska, now wonderful in my mind in spite of their insanely cold weather, I have found has a law allowing a person to possess up to 4 ounces of marijuana at any given time in their home. This is based on the state's privacy laws and so the individual can only have it in their home, but it a great step in the right direction. The crazy part it's a step that was taken 30 years ago that is now being challenged by the Alaskan Republican party that is saying the the potency of new marijuana is stronger than before and therefore outweighs the privacy issues.

Yes one more thing that should outway our privacy. (okay that's a bit of a low blow stretch but I couldn't help myself)

The fact is however that this is a ridiculous argument. So the THC potency went up, big deal, it's still safer than tobacco. I am sure it's safer than alcohol at a high proof. And it's damn sure healthier than a lot of the crap that we Americans shove in our mouths every day from fast food joints.

And here's a great idea, lets legalize it and federally regulate it and tax it. This solves many issues. First of all by regulating it you can make sure that the THC potency is not higher than a set level. Also you can make sure that the marijuana that is being smoked is not laced with a stronger addictive drug like meth or other dangerous product, people will buy it no matter what at least this way we can make sure that it's safe. And finally if you tax it it is a big step towards lowering the deficit and helping to fund our schools, including an anti-drug campaign against the actual dangerous drugs, simply off the money the government would make.

Of course to get that far the Republican Party would have to stop thinking with their Bible for a second and start thinking with the mind. The simple fact is the majority of arguments that I have heard against the use of marijuana are religious and moral, not legal or logical beyond the spectrum of religion.

And for the record I do not, and would not if it were legal, use marijuana I simply do not believe that it is my place to tell somebody else that they cannot do something which does not hurt anyone but themselves, and whether it hurts them or not is still up for debate.