Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
The world is rife with paradoxes and double standards.
One such incongruity is the disparity in attitudes toward and treatment of marijuana as opposed to those of alcohol and tobacco.
The manifestation of these attitudes are clear in the "Rights, Rules, Responsibilities" handbook.
For alcohol, "violations will result in a dean's warning," whereas even the possession of marijuana or its associated paraphernalia results in at least probation.
The only rational basis for the harsh treatment of marijuana is if it causes damage to the mission of the school more significantly than other substances. If Princeton's administration were to be internally consistent, they would make marijuana violations low priority offenses and choose to overlook violators in the same way that they do with alcohol.
The issue of marijuana's illegality is relevant far beyond the confines of our Orange Bubble, and is, in fact, discussed on local, state and federal levels.
There are quite a few significant reasons why marijuana should be legalized.
Though not the most important, the most quoted incentive to legalize marijuana, , is that the cost of its illegality is very high. The United States spends more than $8 billion a year enforcing marijuana law. The aggregate tax potential on the local, state and national levels is $6 billion if marijuana is taxed like alcohol or tobacco, leaving an annual $14 billion incentive to legalize marijuana.
In times of economic hardship it is beneficial to increase sources of cash flow.
Second, the adverse effects of marijuana smoking are less severe than those of alcohol and tobacco.
While marijuana is more carcinogenic than tobacco, the cannabinoids contained within cannabis mitigate the effect of the carcinogens and actually make smoking marijuana less harmful than tobacco.
Marijuana is also not addictive like alcohol or tobacco, so overdose and binge-usage are far less likely.
It is nearly impossible to die from marijuana overdose - the same cannot be said of alcohol.
Perhaps the most important factor is the social injustice that accompanies the enforcement of marijuana policy.
Consumption of marijuana is fairly evenly distributed across socioeconomic strata, but those penalized for breaking drug law are disproportionately minorities. Jail time and criminal records ruin the lives of those found to be in violation of marijuana law, which limits work and education opportunities. In marked contrast to this severity, there have been only marginally observable social effects on the 12 states that have chosen to decriminalize marijuana, making it a minor violation like a traffic ticket.
The social costs of enforcement heavily outweigh the social costs of decriminalization.
If the legalization of marijuana were entirely positive, then further steps would be taken to lift the ban and sellers wouldn't face expulsion from the University. The most convincing argument for maintaining marijuana as an illegal substance is that marijuana, like alcohol and tobacco, is detrimental to human health.
Ideally, then, both alcohol and tobacco would join marijuana as illegal substances. The only difference is that alcohol and tobacco are so commonplace and ingrained in society that getting rid of them is impossible. This phenomenon played out during America's failed attempt to ban alcohol via the Prohibition. In other words, it is not that marijuana is any worse than alcohol or tobacco, but it would nonetheless be bad social policy to introduce a new legitimate vice into society.
In this sense the stigmatization of marijuana, while a clear double standard, is a preventative measure that could have easily been in place for alcohol or tobacco.
While it is the responsibility of a government to do what is in the best interest of its people, we live in the United States, where we place a particular emphasis on maintaining and expanding freedoms. The fact that marijuana is not healthy does not outweigh the fact that keeping marijuana illegal is curbing freedom.
Neither alcohol nor tobacco is healthy, but it is within the rights of every American of age to consume them. Marijuana consumption is another unhealthy yet victimless action that should be accessible to the American public.
Another vital issue to take into consideration is that legalizing marijuana would directly and unequivocally reduce its price.
A decrease in product cost could directly correlate to an increase in consumption. This is not necessarily a bad trend if marijuana consumption accompanied a decrease in alcohol consumption. It is feasible, however, that the two substances would be consumed in concert and the intake of both alcohol and marijuana would increase. And while increased substance consumption is a fair concern, there are some mitigating factors to be addressed.
Among these are regulatory oversight ensuring better quality and a reduction in crime and involvement with the oft-dubious character of dealers.
I believe the United States should decriminalize marijuana and recognize that its use is not qualitatively different from the usage of similar legal substances, such as alcohol and tobacco.
Even if the greater state authority does not take action towards marijuana policy, Princeton University should treat marijuana as it does alcohol. The University can treat marijuana similarly and turn the traditional blind eye to violators, or at least make the punishments roughly equivalent.
NewsHawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Daily Princetonian (NJ Edu)
Copyright: 2011 Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc.
Contact: mgao@princeton.edu
Website: The Daily Princetonian
Details: MapInc
Author: Aaron Applbaum, Columnist
One such incongruity is the disparity in attitudes toward and treatment of marijuana as opposed to those of alcohol and tobacco.
The manifestation of these attitudes are clear in the "Rights, Rules, Responsibilities" handbook.
For alcohol, "violations will result in a dean's warning," whereas even the possession of marijuana or its associated paraphernalia results in at least probation.
The only rational basis for the harsh treatment of marijuana is if it causes damage to the mission of the school more significantly than other substances. If Princeton's administration were to be internally consistent, they would make marijuana violations low priority offenses and choose to overlook violators in the same way that they do with alcohol.
The issue of marijuana's illegality is relevant far beyond the confines of our Orange Bubble, and is, in fact, discussed on local, state and federal levels.
There are quite a few significant reasons why marijuana should be legalized.
Though not the most important, the most quoted incentive to legalize marijuana, , is that the cost of its illegality is very high. The United States spends more than $8 billion a year enforcing marijuana law. The aggregate tax potential on the local, state and national levels is $6 billion if marijuana is taxed like alcohol or tobacco, leaving an annual $14 billion incentive to legalize marijuana.
In times of economic hardship it is beneficial to increase sources of cash flow.
Second, the adverse effects of marijuana smoking are less severe than those of alcohol and tobacco.
While marijuana is more carcinogenic than tobacco, the cannabinoids contained within cannabis mitigate the effect of the carcinogens and actually make smoking marijuana less harmful than tobacco.
Marijuana is also not addictive like alcohol or tobacco, so overdose and binge-usage are far less likely.
It is nearly impossible to die from marijuana overdose - the same cannot be said of alcohol.
Perhaps the most important factor is the social injustice that accompanies the enforcement of marijuana policy.
Consumption of marijuana is fairly evenly distributed across socioeconomic strata, but those penalized for breaking drug law are disproportionately minorities. Jail time and criminal records ruin the lives of those found to be in violation of marijuana law, which limits work and education opportunities. In marked contrast to this severity, there have been only marginally observable social effects on the 12 states that have chosen to decriminalize marijuana, making it a minor violation like a traffic ticket.
The social costs of enforcement heavily outweigh the social costs of decriminalization.
If the legalization of marijuana were entirely positive, then further steps would be taken to lift the ban and sellers wouldn't face expulsion from the University. The most convincing argument for maintaining marijuana as an illegal substance is that marijuana, like alcohol and tobacco, is detrimental to human health.
Ideally, then, both alcohol and tobacco would join marijuana as illegal substances. The only difference is that alcohol and tobacco are so commonplace and ingrained in society that getting rid of them is impossible. This phenomenon played out during America's failed attempt to ban alcohol via the Prohibition. In other words, it is not that marijuana is any worse than alcohol or tobacco, but it would nonetheless be bad social policy to introduce a new legitimate vice into society.
In this sense the stigmatization of marijuana, while a clear double standard, is a preventative measure that could have easily been in place for alcohol or tobacco.
While it is the responsibility of a government to do what is in the best interest of its people, we live in the United States, where we place a particular emphasis on maintaining and expanding freedoms. The fact that marijuana is not healthy does not outweigh the fact that keeping marijuana illegal is curbing freedom.
Neither alcohol nor tobacco is healthy, but it is within the rights of every American of age to consume them. Marijuana consumption is another unhealthy yet victimless action that should be accessible to the American public.
Another vital issue to take into consideration is that legalizing marijuana would directly and unequivocally reduce its price.
A decrease in product cost could directly correlate to an increase in consumption. This is not necessarily a bad trend if marijuana consumption accompanied a decrease in alcohol consumption. It is feasible, however, that the two substances would be consumed in concert and the intake of both alcohol and marijuana would increase. And while increased substance consumption is a fair concern, there are some mitigating factors to be addressed.
Among these are regulatory oversight ensuring better quality and a reduction in crime and involvement with the oft-dubious character of dealers.
I believe the United States should decriminalize marijuana and recognize that its use is not qualitatively different from the usage of similar legal substances, such as alcohol and tobacco.
Even if the greater state authority does not take action towards marijuana policy, Princeton University should treat marijuana as it does alcohol. The University can treat marijuana similarly and turn the traditional blind eye to violators, or at least make the punishments roughly equivalent.
NewsHawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Daily Princetonian (NJ Edu)
Copyright: 2011 Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc.
Contact: mgao@princeton.edu
Website: The Daily Princetonian
Details: MapInc
Author: Aaron Applbaum, Columnist
