Soap Box

There was a time when the sale and use of illegal drugs were, for the most part, confined to big cities and the penalties for getting caught with even a small amount of a controlled substance were severe, too severe considering the crime.

There was a time in Texas and some other states when there was a zero tolerance policy and the possession of a minimal amount of marijuana could mean years behind bars in a state prison.

The drug laws in most states had not been changed in decades and dealt with totally different societal attitudes, were draconian in nature and actually carried a heavier sentence than laws dealing with crimes many times more destructive to society than being caught with a joint of your pocket. 

Now marijuana has been legalized in a couple of states, with several others toying with the idea, and as the tax revenues continue to mount in Colorado, the temptation in cash strapped states is becoming overwhelming, and I predict that marijuana will soon be legally obtainable at a retail level, at least for "medical purposes" in most states in the coming decade.

In my estimation, about half the people in the country think that the legalization of pot across the nation is a good thing and that the taxes collected and one less law for our harried police forces to have to enforce, makes it a worthwhile endeavor.

After all, they say alcoholic beverages are legal and what�s the difference in getting buzzed on alcohol and getting stoned on marijuana.

Well before we all get on that train, there are several pertinent facts that should be examined and carefully considered before the drug is made available to one and all.

1. Let's deal with the tax issue. First of all, any windfall profits that would come from the sales would, in most cases, knowing government, be absorbed in the new bureaucracies created to oversee the sales and audit and collect the new taxes.

Being in the same category as tobacco and alcohol, marijuana would fall into the "sin tax" bracket and every time the powers that be needed more tax dollars they'd up the ante.

It�s the same mentality that makes a pack of cigarettes cost eleven dollars in New York City.

Pretty soon the convenience of buying it over the counter would be outweighed by the inconvenience of the ever rising price and users would go back to growing their own or obtaining it on the black market, which again, knowing government, would probably be declared illegal and another bureaucracy would have to be established to to deal with the illegal growers. 

Then we're back to jammed courtrooms and overworked police forces.

2. From what I understand the THC content, the ingredient in the pot plant which makes you high, is many times more potent than in days gone by and has the potential of turning unsuspecting users into either dreamers who sit around and are firmly convinced they have solved all the worlds� problems or conversely in a state of paranoia, imagining all sorts of world ending catastrophes.

3. As we all know, the underage should not be able to get their hands on alcohol, pills or any other kind of inebriate, but we know that due to older kids who are willing to buy alcohol for them, they do get their hands on it and many times the result is tragic.

However, experimenting with alcohol at an early age, as detrimental as it is, usually ends up with headaches, throwing up and all the other aggravation of a hangover and it's over.

The effects of marijuana deal with the brain, have a residual effect and regular use by young people whose thought processes have not fully formed can seriously effect their mental awareness and personality.

They seem preoccupied and their capacity to reason is altered and they go through life grinning at something only they can see.

4. No matter what you may hear to the contrary, marijuana is a gateway drug. You'd be hard pressed to run into a junkie who didn't start their drug journey with marijuana and keep on experimenting with harder drugs until they find themselves tying off and shooting up.

And no, I don�t think that everybody who smokes marijuana will turn into a heroin addict, but the potential is there and should be considered, and the fact is that almost everybody, once they begin using drugs are always pushing for a higher high and unfortunately, for some people that means serious trouble.

Most people think that marijuana does not effect their driving abilities the way alcohol does because it doesn't inhibit their motor skills, but it does effect their mental capacities and ability to make the split second decisions required to operate a motor vehicle safely. 

We tend to rush headlong into situations without seriously considering the detrimental potential and the long term effects.

All sides should be looked at and carefully examined before any drug is made legal and readily available.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops and the peace of Jerusalem

God Bless America

� Charlie Daniels

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU POST

Feel free to comment on Charlie's soapboxes, but please refrain from profanity and "Anonymous" posts are not allowed, we need a name (it doesn't have to be your first and last name) and you MUST provide a valid email address. If you provide an email address, but leave the name as "Anonymous" we will pick a name for you based on your email address. No one other than website adminstrators will see your email address, not other posters. If you post without a valid email address, your comment (whether postive or negative) will be deleted. � TeamCDB