Pubdate: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 Source: Strand, The (CN ON Edu) Copyright: 2008 The Strand Contact: http://www.thestrand.ca Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3546 Author: Shayan Nahrvar DRUGS AND PROHIBITION: WHAT'S THE PRICE TO PAY? There has never been a drug-free society in the history of mankind, and there is no evidence of any changing trends. So, it's safe to say that the use of recreational drugs is a natural part of human society. However, nature is composed of things good and bad, so simply because drug use is "natural" doesn't mean that it's beneficial for either the individual or society. Certain drugs help the body heal and relieve pain, while others provide short-term pleasure at the risk of long-term health problems. I believe in individual freedom to do with yourself as you please, as long as your actions are harmless to others. We have no reason to believe that our body belongs to anyone but ourselves, so the final choice should be ours to make. Certain religious sects may disagree with this, and they should be free to follow through with their beliefs, as long as they don't impose it on others (it would be inappropriate to tell me that your god owns my body). No doubt this is a controversial topic, but when people begin talking about making public decisions related to drug prohibition, the issue becomes even more controversial. In my opinion, most anti-drug laws are doing little to solve the real problem that our society faces. The current plan is to prohibit the use of some drugs, and fine and imprison those who still use these substances. Unfortunately, it's hard to oppress a part of human nature that has endured for thousands of years. This is the major flaw of prohibition: It cuts the legal supply of drugs, but does very little about the demand. Remember what happened with the US alcohol prohibition of the 20s? The government decided it would be best if alcohol was wiped out of the legal market. Suddenly, alcohol went from plentiful to rare, and we all know that rare things are worth a lot more! Naturally, the black market realized this and started making illegal booze. Before prohibition, the market produced inexpensive, reliable booze that produced tax dollars and was available only to those who were of age. During prohibition, the black market produced unreliable and sometimes dangerous alcohol to anyone who could pay. The revenues produced by the alcohol no longer went to the government, but to the black market, allowing shady characters to gain power and wealth. Prohibition or not, the people still wanted their sweet juice. Thankfully, Canada and USA have both changed their ways since that time. They have made billions of tax dollars from alcohol and tobacco (that would have been consumed anyway) while providing quality regulated merchandise to the public. They have also created many harm-reduction campaigns to fight the problems arising from society's use of alcohol and tobacco, such as drunk driving and lung cancer. This seems to be a more effective way of reducing damage caused by drugs, than simply cutting the legal supply and hoping for all else to fall into place. The Canadian government has found ways of incorporating tobacco and alcohol into society so that the benefits (tax revenues, individual freedom) are emphasized, and the costs (health risks, price) are reduced and made clear to the public. But our government, like most governments, has failed to do the same with other drugs, such as marijuana. Today, we continue with our marijuana prohibition without any conclusive evidence that marijuana is wreaking havoc on the individual and society. We are restricting the personal freedom of our citizens, while passing all the potential tax benefits of marijuana sales to drug dealers. Politicians and policy makers need to take a bold approach to overcome social taboos around marijuana use, and do what is best for the individual and society: STOP THE PROHIBITION. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek