On the Legalization of Pot

(In the wake of this article)

You know, worst case scenario - pot turns people into lazy, incoherent douchebags. Again, worst case scenario - legalize pot and people will use it indiscriminately, irresponsibly. I don't think this would realistically happen, but let's talk worst case scenario.

Is it really so bad? The way I see it, it's like natural selection - survival of the fittest. So, a subset of the human population gets addicted to pot and lays on the couch all day instead of going to work. So? They eventually become poor from not being able to hold a job, and guess what - that's more jobs for the people who are smart enough to avoid doping up (or the "few" smart enough to use pot responsibly, and not recklessly).

I fail to see why this is a bad thing. I think taking drugs is stupid, personally - although I believe there is such a thing as decency in moderation. The threat of addiction is, of course dangerous, which is one of the reasons I prefer to play it safe and not dip my toes in the water.

But then again, we can talk about different drugs and what they do (as well as how addictive they are). Some drugs are perfectly legal - like caffeine. Other drugs are legal but regulated - alcohol and tobacco. But that doesn't mean they're safe.

If anything, instead of outlawing pot for totally arbitrary reasons - there should be some kind of scientific inquiry into its effects and its level of danger, on the grand scale. Everything I've heard and read suggests that pot is more benign and less poisionous than alcohol and tobacco. So what's the big deal?

But, I would argue even further than that. Worst case scenario - legalize pot, and it opens the door for the bleeding heart liberals who want the right to decide what they put in their bodies (funny idea, that). So what? If some idiot wants to ruin his life and send himself to an early grave snorting cocaine and shooting up heroine, so be it.

It's one thing to want good lives for other people, and to want to guide them when you think they're making a mistake. But, ultimately, it's their life and their decision. And it would probably be a much safer decision without all the underground bullshit that comes with prohibition. You know, gang violence, impurities, and all the damn secrecy. I say, bring it all out into the open, and we'd all be better equipped to handle it.

You know, even from a Christian perspective, there's no virtue in forcing a man to avoid temptation - he has to choose it himself. Not that I put any weight in the Christian perspective, but it's worthwhile to point out the hypocrisy inherent in that view. Funny thing I was thinking the other day - God makes sketchy promises of rewards after death for avoiding temptation, but giving in to temptation is its own reward - here and now.