I see some interest here at Blogcritics in the issue of the legalization of marijuana, a.k.a. pot, mary jane, weed, reefer. Ah, "Beware the friendly stranger!" Pot for everyone will be welcome in Colorado, and Washington State; hopefully, soon, everywhere.
Libertarians and freedom seekers are likely to applaud these early victories in the legalization of marijuana. A few points come to mind.
I wonder if there might be a chance that the new legalization, which statesmen anticipate will generate considerable revenue, will fail. Perhaps the days when young musicians and philosophers opt for pot is over. I remember a time when an outdoor jazz festival or blues festival would take place under a light cloud of sweet, aromatic haze. And that was when the pot was most definitely illegal. Now these festivals are smoke-free, and anyone thinking of lighting up is seen as a public nuisance. Experience may have taught us that yes, pot can be fun, but it puts a burden on Monday morning. And while a shot was a nickel in the early days, an ounce for $100 now is a lucky find.
Pot is popular among the young who still have the prospect of not working. If their parents don’t mind feeding them, they may lie around and groove. This may be a boon. If those who smoke the weed are not counted as “unemployed”, then the ranks of the unemployed are diminished.
As far as the predicted rise in crime, the opposite may be true. Prior to The Beatles, and Dr. Timothy Leary, the young and rebellious eased their boredom by alignment with street gangs. Knife fights and a West Side Story mentality were the order of the day. Came the colorful '60s, and the gangs disappeared, to be replaced by love-ins and sweet music; a definite improvement. So, we might see a decline in crime, to be determined by social efforts to disconnect the pot and the more lethal drugs from the minds and hearts of the users.
Article comments
1 - peter petterson
We may all be going to pot, John. When it becomes legal, the young will look for something different. The criminal gangs will then lose there customers for pot but more for P(NZ for meth).
2 - Dr. Joseph S. Maresca
If people react responsibly - then the legalization is here to stay and it will expand to other states. I don't see legalization of pot as any different from lifting prohibition over liquor.
3 - Dr Dreadful
The criminal gangs will then lose there customers for pot but more for P(NZ for meth).
Then why not legalize that as well?
4 - Igor
Why not treat drugs the way we treat alcohol? Legal, but prohibited when dangerous, such as driving.
5 - pablo
Legalize freedom, what an idea.
6 - Dr Dreadful
Yes, Pablo, we're a wild radical bunch here at Blogcritics.
7 - Doug Hunter
#3
A good idea. I think the idea of doing it piecemeal, state by state with any and all ideas on the table (including legalizing everything) is the way to go. We should be able to determine the net benefit/loss to society that way. As a quasi libertarian, in principle I don't care what people shoot/snort/smoke but unfortunately I'm the one who gets robbed when they need their fix or pays for the police and the prison when they get caught or the rehab, welfare, and 'disability' the severely addicted leave in their wake. Rights and responsibilities SHOULD go hand in hand, unfortunately many people seem content exercising their rights while shoveling the responsibility for their actions off onto everyone else.
8 - John Lake
As it happens many of those who write for Blogcritics hold libertarianism in high esteem.
If you feel concerned about being robbed or worse so some addict can get his daily "fix", then why do you endorse legalizing everything? Pot is the only runner in the field that doesn't have those nasty side effects.
9 - Doug Hunter
#8
I said it should be an option, there are costs either way. If legalization does not increase usage rates of the nastier drugs but does eliminate revenue to gangs/increase taxes while enabling warning, treatments, and an openness to hardcore addicts it could be a better option. I don't think you can know what the effects will be until you try.