I made this comment on LinkedIn about the legalization of marijuana use in Canada:
“I am so against the legalization of any recreational drug. It gives the message that being impaired is okay. We still have problems with alcohol.”
I received some backlash on this, so I wish to elaborate on where I am coming from and why I say NO.
First of all, this is not my cause. If it were I would have made an effort to halt this happening instead of making a comment after the fact. It is just my opinion. Opinion based on faulty logic, as it is with everyone. Logic comes from our life experiences and how many years we’ve been at it. I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s so I know something about the matter, though my experiences may be quite different than others of the same generation.
This legislation was passed on a vote of 52-29. That’s 81 people. Hardly representative of an entire nation. It is also a government decision, and they look at money first. If you are naive enough to think all that revenue will go to build roads, schools, hospitals and the like, I suggest you ask where all the money from alcohol, cigarettes and gambling is now going.
Where we had one law, we will now have to spend lots of money to implement many more laws to regulate the use of this substance. When it was illegal, there was one law and one exception – medicinal use.
I am not against the use and legalization of drugs for pain and disease. I am against legalizing it for pleasure.
Mary Jane is a drug and it is addictive. Anything that gives you pleasure you can become addicted to, require more of and eventually be unable to be happy without. This applies for everything from sugar to sex to alcohol and cigarettes and anything else you can think of. We are a species prone to addiction to pleasure.
It impairs your ability to think clearly and function. It makes some think they are brilliant, funny and leaders. Have you ever worked with a stoned person? Driven with them? Would you want to? How about repair your house, operate heavy equipment, doctor you, fix your teeth…?
How is being impaired with marijuana better than alcohol if you kill someone while driving? How is being impaired while driving better than not?
I know some people my age who have always been pot heads. Their lives are a mess, but they are not so aware of it. They make ridiculous (and sometimes costly) decisions and some cannot have sex with their partner without it. One smoked pot all his life to prevent glaucoma. Guess what.
Like attracts like. Do you want to hang around with fellow alcoholics, smokers, tokers? Or do you want to hang with people doing something constructive with their lives? Going places?
I am not against recreational use of anything, except I know where it can lead. We as humans are not terribly good at moderation. What starts as fun can soon become a necessity.
Making something illegal does not solve problems, but neither does making it legal, because legislation is the wrong approach to begin with. It does not decrease crime, it merely ‘relocates’ it to something else.
What we need is education – how to have a life, make good choices, help the world, have relationships, handle money, be happy. We fail our young by not teaching them life skills.
My cause is not making substances illegal. My concern is with people wasting their lives and everyone elses.
There are better ways to enjoy your life, to relax and to have fun. Alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana and the like are substitutes for genuine joy.
It is not okay.
Make the effort to find real joy in your life.