A Case Against Marijuana Legalization

I consider myself an old-fashioned person who only wants the greatest level of liberty for the greatest number of American citizens. There are things I would legalize if only to remove criminal stigmatization and stop the criminal element from profiting from those marginally questionable things, but there are also some legalizations that should not be performed in order to protect young, impressionable people from a mistake that could destroy their lives.

But when it comes to the legalization of marijuana I draw the line. And I only have one real objection to this legalization: legalizing this drug will only lead to a greater use of it by young people who too often use it to avoid the boredom and pointlessness of their daily lives. Young people should be encouraged to be mentally bright and awake, and using marijuana will do the exact opposite of that. If you’ve ever seen a college-aged person on marijuana listlessly drifting, both mentally and physically, you’ll know what I mean. The drug is too tempting and too easily attained as it is, and we should not lower the barriers that keep people of all ages from using it. One recalls the old saying that the mind is a terrible thing to waste, and that summarizes my opposition to any recreational drug.

A society that apparently urges its young people to use marijuana is risking that they live lives of ever-escalating drug use, constantly seeking a more powerful drug to satisfy them, and this would be a life of never-ending drug use. There have been many Libertarians on the subject of drugs who see evidence of the relationship between recreational drugs and schizophrenia and object to legalization on that relationship. And one could also add the relevant point that many current Democrat candidates for president are admitted users of recreational drugs, and maybe their drug use is why these misguided people are all for promising government goodies to everyone in exchange for their vote. They don’t seem to understand that we have a constitution and that they will swear to abide by and protect that constitution if they’re elected in 2020, but their drug-rattled brains don’t work properly now, and will work even less well in 2020 when, and if, they are elected to the Oval Office and lead the nation into the dark future of drug use.

How can society sit by and watch our young people use drugs as a tension-relieving tool? The young must learn how to cope with stress and tension and not seek escape from life in a drug.