Pubdate: Mon, 20 Apr 2009
Source: Daily Reveille (Louisiana State U, LA Edu)
Copyright: 2009 Daily Reveille
Contact: http://www.lsureveille.com/submit_a_letter
Website: http://www.lsureveille.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2879
Author: Matthew Albright

NIETZSCHE IS DEAD: SORRY, STUDENTS, MARIJUANA SHOULD STILL BE ILLEGAL

Marijuana is bad.

On this most auspicious of days, the calls for legalizing marijuana 
reach their wheezing, coughing climax.

And year after year, these calls go unanswered for good reason.

As much as we want to think our parents are over-protective and 
paranoid, there's a reason they always told us not to smoke pot, and 
there's a reason pot is still illegal.

Marijuana smoke contains 20 times more ammonia and five times more 
hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxide than tobacco smoke, according to 
the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The drug also doubles the risk of depression and triples the 
incidence of suicidal thoughts, according to Life Science Weekly.

Contrary to some arguments, marijuana has been connected with 
criminal activity - four out of every five repeat felons has a 
history of drug use.

It's use contributes to vast social problems south of the border - 
the anarchic violence in Mexico a potent example.

Despite the dangers pot poses, some propose arguments that cast the 
drug in a good light, but virtually all of them are totally baseless.

The first - and most tired argument - is that marijuana is useful for 
medicinal purposes. Although the jury is still out to some extent on 
tightly-regulated medical marijuana, it is most definitively in on 
legalization.

The Institute of Medicine, the American Medical Association and the 
Mayo Clinic have all made public statements against legalization.

Besides, medicinal marijuana already exists in pill form as Marinol.

The second argument is that legalization would free up space in 
overcrowded jails. This also has no basis in fact. Only 5 percent of 
inmates in federal prison and about 27 percent of state prison are 
incarcerated for drug-related charges, according to the DEA.

Another argument is drug-related violence would decrease with 
legalization. But this assumes violence is a result of conflicts 
resulting from trafficking - instead, most drug-related crimes are 
committed by those on drugs, not those seeking them. A user on drugs 
is six times as likely to commit violent crimes as an addict looking 
to obtain them, according to the DEA.

Proponents argue legalization of marijuana will eliminate the 
dangerous and violent black market involved in its distribution. But 
this market will exist with or without drug laws.

If marijuana is legalized, an apparatus would have to be constructed 
to regulate its distribution. High maintenance costs for this 
apparatus aside, pure-grade marijuana would almost certainly not be 
allowed - thus a black market would exist for these drugs anyway.

And don't forget all the drugs that would certainly sustain a black market.

The final myth legalization advocates advance is that legalization 
will not lead to a significant increase in marijuana use. This is 
patently untrue. Legalization has been tried before - Alaska voted to 
legalize it in the 1970s, and the drug's use among teens doubled.

In fact, marijuana caused enough problems for the state to 
re-criminalize it in 1990.

Although many college students would love to see marijuana legalized, 
and many students have turned the search for evidence that it is not 
harmful into a personal crusade, the hard facts indicate one simple truth.

Marijuana is bad. And it always will be.

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Matthew Albright is a 20-year-old political communications sophomore 
from Baton Rouge.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart