Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Take a Toke Tuesday? Anyone?? Legalize it!

In the wise words of Mr. Mackey from South Park - Drugs are bad, mkay?





 What I want to know though is why is marijuana illegal, but smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol is not. I understand the whole prohibition thing didn't work back in the 1920's, so I'm not saying to try that again, but think about what drinking does to people - how many deaths a year are attributable to drinking and driving? How many bar fights are there? How much domestic violence and depression is caused by drinking? And then there are cigarettes. Now cigarettes I really just don't get. I know everyone has heard all the horrible things they put into cigarettes, but people still continue to smoke them! Well as a reminder, here are just a few of the ingredients found in cigarettes:

  • Acetone – found in nail polish remover
  • Acetic Acid –  an ingredient in hair dye
  • Ammonia – a common household cleaner
  • Arsenic – used in rat poison
  • Benzene – found in rubber cement
  • Butane – used in lighter fluid
  • Cadmium – active component in battery acid
  • Carbon Monoxide – released in car exhaust fumes
  • Formaldehyde – embalming fluid
  • Hexamine – found in barbecue lighter fluid
  • Lead – used in batteries
  • Napthalene – an ingredient in moth balls
  • Methanol – a main component in rocket fuel
  • Nicotine – used as insecticide
  • Tar – material for paving roads
  • Toluene - used to manufacture paint
Mmmmm, pass me one of those cigarettes so I can suck some Formaldehyde and Nail Polish Remover into my system....mmmm mmm good!! Yeah, I think I'll pass. But these two items are LEGAL. Now let's look at marijuana - There is no medical evidence that shows high-potency marijuana is more harmful than low-potency marijuana. Marijuana is literally one of the least toxic substances known. (http://legalizationofmarijuana.com/marijuana-facts.html). The chance of getting cancer from smoking marijuana is miniscule. And studies link marijuana as less habit forming than caffeine.  

How many people do you know that have gotten high and then got into a domestic disturbance? Bar fight? Got loud and crazy at a party? Anyone? No, probably not so much. Except for maybe if you took away their munchies, that might piss them off. But in reality they would probably just shrug their shoulders and go back to toking. Point is, it isn't a violent drug, it isn't an addictive drug, it isn't  filled with all sorts of horrible chemicals (again FORMALDEHYDE!), it's a natural plant that I believe was used in many rituals way back when. 

If our government spent more time going after real criminals and actually using the man power involved in the 'War against Drugs' maybe we could do some real good and get people off the streets, get healthcare for everyone, and focus on the real issues in our country today. Whether or not some one is lighting up a fatty and chilling in their own home, isn't a worry to me. It's things more like - if my dad loses his current health care he will be taken off the lung transplant list because he doesn't have the money to pay for that type of surgery....and he will most likely die. And this type of thing happens daily. People who can't afford health care are being denied the help they need and they are dying. Why isn't this a major concern for our government (ok, this will be another blog I guess). Which also goes back to my first point - sorry Dad, but I have to use you as an example - he smoked cigarettes pretty much his entire life. Yes, he had some other breathing issues like asthma, but he smoked, and now he needs two new lungs. This is reason enough for me not to smoke cigarettes. 

Also, as a person who has the beginning of glaucoma (at 30!), I like to have my options open for treatment. If marijuana helps someone who is sick, whether it's glaucoma, cancer, anything, then why would you want to deny them something that makes them feel better? I've heard so many people that have to undergo chemo say that it really does help them deal with everything they are going through. Why deny them that?

LEGALIZE IT!  

1 comment:

  1. Totally agree! Pot should be legalized.
    Think of all the revenue that could be raised from legalizing pot and all the money that could be saved by no longer having so many people arrested and going through the judicial system.

    ReplyDelete