Spring Break
Column: There are bigger problems than weed
Chris Kromphardt / Columnist
Issue date: 3/30/09 Section: Opinions
Contemplate the following: Fred, a college senior, starts his year by accidentally getting his girlfriend Jenny pregnant. Fred and Jenny, both young and both not in love with each other, have a fight. Jenny wants to keep the baby, but Fred puts his foot down and says Jenny must get the abortion. A few months later Jenny is still traumatized by her terminated pregnancy, but Fred has moved on.
One night he's having a good time with some buddies, drinking heavily and watching Extreme Championship Wrestling. One of the other guys brings up some past quarrel with Fred, laughing about it, and Fred, mistaking the joke for an insult, puts his knee in the other guy's face, breaking his nose and sending him to the emergency room. When the police come, the other guys cover for Fred, saying it was just some horseplay gone awry.
The end of the school year comes, and Fred is excited. He has a job lined up and is ready to be done with school, but he's not done enjoying the freedom college life allows. He spends an afternoon sitting around in his underwear, watching cartoons and getting high. Two weeks later he fails a drug test for his new job, and his landlord, on suspicion that Fred is growing his own weed in the apartment, calls the police and Fred is arrested. He's charged with cultivation and possession, but no intent to distribute, and is sentenced to three years in prison.
The above fictional example is an attempt to illustrate how ridiculous the United States' drug laws are. While I'm in no way advocating or minimizing the effects of abortion or senseless violence, I have to question the rationale behind criminalizing such a harmless offense as marijuana use, especially when we can legally harm ourselves and others so much worse.
American drug laws for marijuana have long been a source of scorn, and for good reason. The Marijuana Policy Project, a lobbying and activism outfit founded in 1995, is a leading voice in efforts to lessen the criminality of marijuana, particularly for medicinal purposes. By arguing — and proving, through the testimony of medically-trained advocates — marijuana use can ease the effects of several diseases, 13 states have been persuaded to legalize doctor-approved use. Additionally, MPP's vision statement acknowledges the relative harm of pot, saying it strives for "a nation where marijuana is legally regulated similarly to alcohol, marijuana education is honest and realistic and treatment for problem marijuana users is non-coercive and geared toward reducing harm."
Is that too much to ask for? Intelligent legislation designed to actually remedy abuse? Separating the afflicted from the common criminal?
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton touched on the subject of drug abuse on a recent trip to Mexico. Referring to a recent source of conflict in that country, Clinton said "(America's) insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade." Insatiable is a strong word, and Clinton's use of it raises the question: insatiable because we're addicted, or because it's illegal? Either way, it's clear that imprisonment isn't going to solve our problems — dealing with them openly and responsibly is our best chance.
Chris Kromphardt is a senior political science major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
One night he's having a good time with some buddies, drinking heavily and watching Extreme Championship Wrestling. One of the other guys brings up some past quarrel with Fred, laughing about it, and Fred, mistaking the joke for an insult, puts his knee in the other guy's face, breaking his nose and sending him to the emergency room. When the police come, the other guys cover for Fred, saying it was just some horseplay gone awry.
The end of the school year comes, and Fred is excited. He has a job lined up and is ready to be done with school, but he's not done enjoying the freedom college life allows. He spends an afternoon sitting around in his underwear, watching cartoons and getting high. Two weeks later he fails a drug test for his new job, and his landlord, on suspicion that Fred is growing his own weed in the apartment, calls the police and Fred is arrested. He's charged with cultivation and possession, but no intent to distribute, and is sentenced to three years in prison.
The above fictional example is an attempt to illustrate how ridiculous the United States' drug laws are. While I'm in no way advocating or minimizing the effects of abortion or senseless violence, I have to question the rationale behind criminalizing such a harmless offense as marijuana use, especially when we can legally harm ourselves and others so much worse.
American drug laws for marijuana have long been a source of scorn, and for good reason. The Marijuana Policy Project, a lobbying and activism outfit founded in 1995, is a leading voice in efforts to lessen the criminality of marijuana, particularly for medicinal purposes. By arguing — and proving, through the testimony of medically-trained advocates — marijuana use can ease the effects of several diseases, 13 states have been persuaded to legalize doctor-approved use. Additionally, MPP's vision statement acknowledges the relative harm of pot, saying it strives for "a nation where marijuana is legally regulated similarly to alcohol, marijuana education is honest and realistic and treatment for problem marijuana users is non-coercive and geared toward reducing harm."
Is that too much to ask for? Intelligent legislation designed to actually remedy abuse? Separating the afflicted from the common criminal?
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton touched on the subject of drug abuse on a recent trip to Mexico. Referring to a recent source of conflict in that country, Clinton said "(America's) insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade." Insatiable is a strong word, and Clinton's use of it raises the question: insatiable because we're addicted, or because it's illegal? Either way, it's clear that imprisonment isn't going to solve our problems — dealing with them openly and responsibly is our best chance.
Chris Kromphardt is a senior political science major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 6
EIU Alum
posted 3/30/09 @ 5:14 AM CST
Leave it to a college student to bring this matter up. Needless to say, there are two sides to this story. On the one hand is the story about the medicinal benefits of marijuana, and due to those benefits, the use of marijuana needs to be legalized by prescription or totally legal, so it can be taxed by the government. (Continued…)
Ross Meister
posted 3/30/09 @ 3:36 PM CST
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ongoing/marijuana.html
Sure, go ahead and legalize marijuana for medical use only. Then that will still upset the people who want to get high. (Continued…)
Mike Meister
posted 3/30/09 @ 4:28 PM CST
I can't believe these clowns are serious. I just wish that all the college students with their KILLER REEFERS!!!!1! would just take a hike.
Meister Meister
posted 3/30/09 @ 9:59 PM CST
My god, I can't believe no one has commented on the complete badassery of the first half of this column: It was so epic I read it out loud to my friends at breakfast and one dude shot milk out his nose!
The 245 word "fictional account" of a dude stepping on his girlfriends vagina until she had an abortion and then kicking his friends face clean off when he starting giving him shit about it makes this the column of the year and no one can say otherwise. (Continued…)
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