Reading this post over at Revellian, he asks the question whether drugs should be decriminalised.
I believe that drugs should be completely decriminalized in favor of treatment. It’s ridiculous to send someone to prison because they are caught with drugs. Prison will only worsen things and ruin that person’s life; however, a person selling large quantities of illicit substances, does deserve prison.
So I ask you, should alcohol be illegal? Should the laws be changed in favor of treatment for people? One of the oldest arguments is that if alcohol is legal, then marijuana should be legal too; it is in some states and countries. In my opinion, marijuana should be legal. If not, then make alcohol illegal.
Revellian
He goes on further to state this:
What bothers me to no end is someone who drinks alcohol saying something negative about a drug user. If you drink alcohol, even in scarce moderation, you too are a drug user and are no better than a crack head…period. If the previous sentence offends you and you drink, you might be a hypocrite! We are all equal and should be treated as such.
Some of the most erratic behavior I’ve ever seen is from people going through cigarette withdrawal. I quit several years ago but it was extremely difficult. I know that until the day I die, I will be in tobacco recovery - the addiction NEVER goes away. Marijuana is psychologically addictive but can be tough to quit for some people. Overall, alcohol is by far more dangerous than pot.
Everyday heavy use of marijuana does have side effects and it is an addictive drug. Prison may not be the answer and as this blogger has previously stated, addiction whether it be cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine or just good old fashioned pot is difficult at best to live with. And yes I agree, alcohol abuse is extremely dangerous and is as bad as a regular pot smoker. Am not talking about those who partake in the occasional joint or billy (bong). Habitual users of marijuana often deny that it has any side effects and to think this is living with ones head in the sand. Mood swings are quite common, paranoia creeps up on you, DENIAL is the biggest affliction.
See the following link at NIDA for information how marijuana affects the user. There are drug programs in place and many of those caught for first time go through the 'drug court' here in Queensland. If they continue to use, then they either don't want to give up pot and or don't believe it is as harmless as proven. This is not a personal attack on Revellian, just on the topic at hand.
NIDA
