Posted on 12/17/2002 8:21:08 AM PST by MrLeRoy
Illicit drugs are in the news again, with talk of creating safe injection sites in major metropolitan centres, and the potential decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. These discussions cause me a certain amount of personal turmoil. I have written in this space before about my own negative experiences with substance abuse, as well as my belief that all drugs should be decriminalized and regulated.
I continue to struggle to reconcile these apparently opposing views on illicit drugs.
I'm not a believer of the 'harmless' theory of marijuana use. I'm one of those guys whose history of drug abuse was what your mother warned you about.
Marijuana led me to stronger, more dangerous, narcotics that affected my abilities. Or perhaps it was my association with other law-breaking lowlifes who were quite content to seek solace from consciousness-altering drugs, rather than facing reality, that led me astray.
Either way, I fell deeper and deeper into the drug culture, and I regret it.
And yet I want to decriminalize all drug use.
My experiences have taught me that substance abusers get caught up in that way of life for the same reasons that I did all those years ago, a weakness in character.
It's the same reason people get addicted to pornography, alcohol, gambling, or other anti-social activities.
The causes of character weakness are much debated in scientific and medical circles. Some argue they are genetic, others argue psychological trauma is at the root of the problem. It's the old nurture versus nature discussion.
And the symptoms of character weakness? A lack of acceptance in the past, an inability to live in the present, and an underlying pessimism about the future. This leads to giving up easily in the face of adversity, a sense of hopelessness, always looking for the easy way out, and depression.
You only have to look at the alarming increase in the sale of prescription drugs to combat depression to see that character weakness is a growth industry.
The good news is that with hard work, effective parenting, and dedicated teachers, weak character can be overcome.
Hopelessness is a learned state, and it can be unlearned. Children at risk can be identified and taught optimism at an early age.
This is not about perpetuating the disgusting idea of victimhood that is so prevalent today, it's about filling the gaps that religion used to fill in most people's lives.
Don't get me wrong. There is plenty of real criminal activity at play in the illicit drug trade. There are lots of people out there willing to risk breaking the law to get rich from other people's weaknesses.
Just take a look at the burgeoning Internet pornography businesses and the state sanctioned lottery and alcohol industries.
As long as there is big money to be made selling pot, or crack, or whatever, there will be violent organized criminals prepared to take advantage of the situation.
Half-hearted measures like safe injection sites and lightening up on marijuana won't do the trick.
Yes, it does begin to acknowledge that the problem with substance abusers is more social than criminal, but it won't do anything to eliminate the violence and crime associated with the drug trade.
The only way to do that is to remove the potential for profit. Once unscrupulous people have no reason to prey on the weaknesses of others, then we'll have a fighting chance at dealing with the root causes.
Complete decriminalization, with government regulated supply of product, and a massive public health campaign, will choke off illegal profits and allow the abusers to be treated.
Assuming, of course, that the government won't become addicted to the tax revenue like they have with gambling, and keep the whole disgusting business in operation for their own nefarious purposes.
He didn't say to smoke them, or use them to get stoned and turn your mind into silly putty.
Government policy should not be madated pop-psychology, counseling, etc., etc., ad nauseaum, that's for sure. Stop wasting taxpayer dollars on psychologists/shrinks.
I don't want to pay much more for the incarceration of addicts AND non-addicted users AND their suppliers.
His points are these: how much profit? and who's getting it?
I didn't see him call for mandated anything. I did see a call for "effective parenting and dedicated teachers."
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