Why I Oppose Legalising Marijuana

a marijuana/cannabis leaf

On 2 July I discussed Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei's bill to decriminalise marijuana for medicinal purposes. A couple of weeks later I posted an exclusive interview I took with a marijuana user. Today I will explain why I oppose legalising marijuana but support its decriminalisation for both medicinal and recreational use. However I will make it absolutely clear that I am opposed to and would discourage people from using marijuana for recreational purposes.

First I need to clear up my intentionally misleading title and perhaps confusing introduction to this post by drawing a distinction between decriminalisation and legalisation. As far as I can tell, there is nothing in society that the government should specifically legalise, as such an action implies that the government has the inherent authority to permit or deny a particular thing or activity. For example, what would you wish to happen if it were currently the case that the possession, trade and consumption of bread was illegal? Should the government pass a law legalising bread - or would it be better if they instead decriminalised bread - on the grounds that the state has no jurisdiction to legislate for or against it? What about your very existence: should living be legal? The government has no authority to specifically permit the continuation of the life of an individual. Such a decision can surely only be made by the individual. So in the case of marijuana, it should either be either illegal or simply not ruled upon at all. Refraining from making a ruling on something allows for individuals to make decisions unaffected by an assumed belief that the government has endorsed it by actively legalising it. It is preferable to passively permit a harmful activity (such as bungy-jumping) or substance (such as marijuana) than to actively permit it as would be the case if marijuana were legalised.

I could employ the argument that the use of marijuana is justified for the purpose of pain-relief and then follow on from this that it therefore has a legitimate use, and subsequently question the justification of a statuatory line of distinction between medicinal and recreational use. Alternatively I could take the line that marijuana is far less harmful to the body than glue-sniffing or methamphetamine for instance, and should therefore not be legislated against as these other harder drugs are. Again, I could compare the adverse effects of the recreational abuse of marijuana with the destructive effects of drunkeness, concluding that if alcohol is not legislated against then neither should marijuana be. However useful these arguments may be, this post will support decriminalisation from another angle.

The issue of whether an action or thing should be permissible or not is usually blindingly simple. If it does not adversely affect a third party against their will, then the law has no place in the matter. Although I hold that our very bodies are a gift to each of us from God, and that we should value and care for these "jars of clay", the government does not have jurisdiction to force us to be good. The question of how far this principle is to be taken is fundamental to the euthanasia/suicide debate. Should people have the right to choose how to end their own lives - and in what circumstances? But this is an issue for another post.

But what about when marijuana harms innocent bystanders such as children living in the house of a marijuana user, or neighbors upset with the odour wafting over the fence in the evening? First I must demonstrate that this question is baseless as it directs blame at the medium of the damage instead of accusing the perpetrator of the damage. If, on the subject of loud music I asked, "What about when loud music harms innocent bystanders...", it is generally accepted that it would be an incorrect response to ban music. Instead, people should be free to play music so long as it does not adversely affect others. Music played too loud is harmful to the ears and is therefore should not be imposed upon anyone without their prior consent. If certain people wish to enjoy such loud music and knowingly damage their hearing, then that is their prerogative. The government has no mandate to legislate on acceptable decibel levels for music when nobody's hearing is being damaged against their will. Our frustration and anger at loud music played at night by the neighbors should not be targeted at the music itself, but at the immature idiots who are abusing it. They are welcome to either turn down the volume, plug in headphones or drive out into the country and crank up the stereo, but it is unacceptable to harm others against their will.

The question should then be rephrased, "What about when marijuana-users harm innocent buystanders..." The subject then becomes the perpetrator of the harm rather than the medium. Marijuana use is detrimental to the human body, and it is therefore unfair to subject young children to its smoke as they do not have the ability or knowledge to know how to handle such an environment. The solution is clear: people who are unable to give consent (children), or who do not give consent to be affected by others using marijuana in their environment - must not have the same imposed upon them. Since we have already found that the problem is not the medium but the perpetrator, it is clear that either the perpetrator or the bystander must be removed from the environment. An example of this would be where marijuana users find some place else to smoke their weed so that harm to bystanders is significantly reduced or completely removed.

Lets decriminalise marijuana for both medicinal and recreational purposes and allow New Zealand to move forward into the 21st Century on this matter.

Methamphetamine

David Farrar over at Kiwiblog posted the following poem on his blog. Paul Holmes read it out on his slot on his Saturday programme on Newstalk ZB. In 2007 Paul's daughter was convicted of posessing methamphetamine (also known as P), and as any father would, Paul really struggled through this time. Anyway, the poem here is very moving - would be excellent if all young people could read or hear this poem. While I support decriminalisation of drugs, I want it to be crystal clear that I am strongly opposed to drug abuse and am keen to be much more involved in raising awareness and helping people caught up in the crippling, downward spiral of such a lifestyle. Here's the poem.

Methamphetamine

I destroy homes, I tear families apart
I take your children, and that’s just a start
I’m more costly than diamonds, more precious than gold
The sorrow I bring is a sight to behold

If you need me, remember, I’m easily found
I live all around you, in schools and in town
I live with the rich, I live with the poor
I live down the street, I may be next door

I’m made in a lab, but not like you think
I can be made under the kitchen sink
In your child’s closet, and even in the woods
If this scares you to death, it certainly should

I have many names, but there’s one you know best
I’m sure you’ve heard of me, my name is Crystal Meth
My power is awesome, try me, you’ll see
But if you do, you’ll never be free

Just try me once, and I might let you go
But try me twice and I’ll own your soul
When I possess you, you’ll steal and you’ll lie
You’ll do what you have to, just to get high

The crimes you’ll commit, for my narcotic charms
Will be worth the pleasure you’ll feel in your arms
You’ll lie to your mother, you’ll steal from your dad
When you see their tears, you should feel sad

But you’ll forget your morals and how you were raised
I’ll be your conscience, I’ll teach you my ways
I take kids from parents, and parents from kids
I turn people from God and separate friends

I’ll take everything from you, your looks and your pride
I’ll be with you always, right by your side.
You’ll give up everything, your family, your home
Your friends, your money, then you’ll be alone

I’ll take and I’ll take till you have nothing more to give
When I’ve finished with you, you’ll be lucky to live
If you try me, be warned, this is no game
If given the chance, I’ll drive you insane

I’ll ravish your body, I’ll control your mind
I’ll own you completely, your soul will be mine
The nightmares I’ll give you while you’re lying in bed
The voices you’ll hear from inside your head

The sweats, the shakes, the visions you’ll see
I want you to know, these are your gifts from me
But then it’s too late, and you’ll know in your heart,
That you are mine, and we shall not part

You’ll regret that you tried me, they always do
But you came to me, not I to you
You knew this would happen, many times were you told
But you challenged my power, and I chose to be bold

You could have said no and just walked away
If you could live that day over, now what would you say?
I’ll be your master, you’ll be my slave
I’ll even go with you, when you go to your grave

Now that you’ve met me, what will you do?
Will you try me or not? It’s all up to you
I can bring you more misery, than words can tell
Come, take my hand, let me lead you to hell.

Check out The Meth Project website for more information on how terrible P is, and what we can do to help.

Exclusive: Interview With a Cannabis User

An interview I have taken with a cannabis user who has requested to remain anonymous. There is a great deal of speculation among those who oppose decriminalising marijuana. Many approach the subject with pre-conceptions and with no first-hand, accurate or balanced understanding of the issue. Here is an opportunity to hear first-hand, what someone on "the other side" of the debate has to say on a whole range of aspects of marijuana - from how you use it and how it feels to thoughts on the legal side of the issue.


When did you start using marijuana?
beginning of 2008. Oh no maybe end of 2007.


how were you introduced to using weed?
ok, a family member - we were drinking, and a family member invited me to join them.

were you pressured into it?
no, not really, I just thought I'd give it a go, but I was quite drunk so you know, it probably wouldn't have taken much to pressure me into it anyway. Yeah, it's often the way a lot of people first smoke it, aye - drunk, drinking. They'll be at a party and someone will have some and offer... weed and alcohol is a pretty weird mix. You get real spaced out, aye. It's not something I like doing. I don't even drink alcohol anymore.

so you're saying you wouldn't have begun using it if you weren't drunk?
nah, I probably would have - it just happened to be the way I was introduced to it - on subsequent times smoking it, I wasn't drunk.

how do you use weed?
any number of ways, a spiff which is just a joint rolled with tobacco, or just a straight joint which is just weed rolled in paper, um a bong which is like a water pipe that you draw the smoke through the water, or a buckie where you cut the bottom of a 1.5 liter bottle, put a cone piece in, push it down into the water and then light the weed above the water, then take the cap off and suck it down real quick, or push it back into the water and suck it up that way, or um a lungie where you have a big 1.5 liter coke bottle or something with a bag on the end, a bag taped on the end so it's airtight and you light the cone piece on the top and the weed, then you pull the bag out and then, then it fills up with smoke you know, then you push the bag down and then you take the cap off and suck it in...

far out... what other ways are there?
well there's cones, glass pipes, metal pipes or whatever... oh spots, of course - spots. They're usually done on electric elements or on a, on a gas ring - you put knives to heat up, and then you roll up a little bit of weed and put it on the knife - squeeze it between two knives while someone with a glass bottle with the bottom smashed off it um, draws it up - takes two people to do that, but it's - it's the most efficient way of smoking weed that I've found. Um, there's vapourisers too but I've never used them, they're expensive.

What other ways are there?
There's can cones, where you get a empty coke can or whatever, bourbon can, whatever you've got and you, all you do is you flatten it a bit on the top, stab a couple of holes through it with something small, then stick the weed on top and light it through the holes in the can, sort of drink it through the can. It's a real rangi way and apparently it's bad for you 'cause you get aluminum poisoning or something. I dunno, what other ways are there... Oh you can make cones out of things like apples and stuff, so you smoke weed that way. Or um, light-bulbs. you get a straw and you put the weed in the bulb - take the end off the light-bulb - get a straw on the end of it and you light the weed from underneath and heat up the light-bulb, kinda like a cheap, free vapouriser. Then you just suck the smoke up the straw.

What sort of environment are you in when you are using weed?
Depends. I'm usually just with friends or family or just by myself. just quiet, you know, evenings or whatever.

How often do you use it, or have used it in the past?
At most, like daily - at most like a couple of times a day.

How much would you consume at one time? - can you measure it in grams?
Oh, two cone-packings which might be a quarter of a gram.

How does using weed make you feel?
Relaxed, just quite mellow aye, pretty happy sometimes - depends, the effects are sometimes like - if you just smoke a wee bit, you just feel a bit mellow and stuff - makes you feel tired sometimes. You just fall asleep sometimes. Yeah, just mellow and relaxed, just quite a joyful mood, quite a happy sort of mood, I dunno, you like to talk a bit

Would you say you do things you normally wouldn't do?
Ah, no not really at all aye - just maybe, I do dumb stuff sometimes, like try and trim my beard and it doesn't work. Mostly do what you do normally.

How does it affect things going on around you?
Well it depends what it is - sometimes you look at things, you get a different perspective on things. Yeah sometimes you just look at things a bit differently - a bit more objectively than you do when you're straight. I don't know why that is.

Do you feel that using it could lead you to breaking the law - or offend or hurt people?
No - I mean apart from that I am breaking the law

(laughter)

Yes I guess in that respect - like I don't suddenly get the urge to go out and like, rob an old granny flat or something, or assault a granny or something. I'd rather just listen to music - or play a video game

How do you feel about using it when you know it's against the law?
It doesn't bother me that much.

Would you say it's not a just law?
Yeah I think so - it's something that grows in the ground. I'm pretty sure that right at the start - God says that we've been given every plant that bears seed, and guess what - it's a plant that bears seed, and I'm pretty sure that overrules any laws in countries. How can you outlaw a herb? It's really like, ridiculous - it's not even consistent with the law in New Zealand. I mean, how come there's an item on Trademe for $20 which with normal household implements can be changed into a class A drug. How does that make sense, and that's legal! Why is that legal?

What is it?
You turn San Pedro cactus into mescaline so like cactus juice - the cactus is legal and you buy foot-long pieces on Trademe for 20 bucks, and a foot just happens to be the right amount - when you cook it up it's just the right amount for a trip - funny that, but it's legal.

Would you say the drug laws in New Zealand are unfair?
Well, I think so because when you look at statistics in New Zealand there are thousands of hospitalisations for alcohol per year. Hundreds and hundreds of deaths caused by alcohol - and when you compare that to the relative effects of other drugs - albeit used by less of the population - it's still a lower ratio, so why is something like alcohol which has known risks - it's considered to have greater health-risks than cannabis, and more addictive, and yet it's legal - that doesn't make sense to me.

How do various substances affect your ability to do things?
Weed can sometimes make you feel a bit lazy because you feel so mellow you don't do anything, but you can still do everything if you put your mind to it you can read and you can study - I did my tax return while I was stoned, you know.

What about driving?
I think I drive fine while I'm stoned. And like, other people being in the car have never commented on any peculiar behaviour about my driving when I've been stoned.

And comparing that with driving when you've had a can of beer?
A can of beer, (laughs) ... I would drive fine. If I was drunk, obviously you can't drive - you do dumb stuff. Like you think it's funny to go 130 down a small side-street - well at least that's my experience of driving drunk.

But you wouldn't do that after using weed?
No - the worst thing that happens is I get a bit lost when I'm driving - it gets a bit confusing about where you are - nah, you're usually - I find I'm a really polite and courteous driver when I'm stoned aye.

How does using weed enhance music and things?
Colours are brighter, more vivid - music just, I dunno - it just seems to come alive, aye and you, your heart starts racing and - I find I feel quite euphoric when I listen to music with headphones on - dark room or something, so you're not distracted, just listening to music - like you do...

Sounds really cool.
Obviously, playing computer games is quite good.

Does it improve your skill?
No, not really aye, sometimes I forget to do things and stuff - I don't play as well probably - it's still good fun. Games that I don't know, I struggle to play when I'm stoned.

I can't watch TV when I'm stoned. When you watch TV when you're stoned you analyse the whole TV show - you look at the plot and you go, man that's a rubbish plot and you go why does the director choose that shot? and you know, you can break down the whole TV show and see you know, you can sort of see through the acting if it's not good, so you can't watch bad movies when you're stoned like you know you've got to watch really well acted ones like um, Pulp Fiction - I enjoyed Pulp Fiction - have you ever seen it?

Yeah - I was freaked out
It's got some pretty bad bits in it, but...

It's got some pretty good actors in it, Samuel L. Jackson...
John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman...

Ok, should weed be made legal?
Yeah I think so. I don't understand why it's illegal.

Would you vote for the Legalise Cannabis party of New Zealand?
Nah, not really.

It's not that much of an issue for you?
Nah, cause the laws are so lax on it in New Zealand anyway - you know, there doesn't seem to be that much risk of being prosecuted.

What about the health risks? Aren't you worried about what it's doing to your lungs or your heart?
You hear such widely-varying stories - so it's hard to really know, but I've read a reasonable bit of research that indicates that smoking through a bong is um, quite good because it eliminates a lot of the tars and harmful chemicals and things that you would normally inhale even in a cigarette and things as well. I'm told that it has less health risks than tobacco - because of all the chemicals that are put on tobacco when it's grown - so you know. Like when I was smoking cigarettes I smoked like you know, 5 or 10 a day or whatever whereas I'm not smoking anywhere near that much weed. So I'm not getting all that smoke...

So smoking weed instead of cigarettes - are you saving money?
I'm not saving all that much money to be honest, but it is a bit cheaper than my tobacco habit.

How much does it cost?
Oh, $250 an ounce. That lasts me 4 - 5 months. That's pretty cheap, you know - I know buy it from a guy who knows a grower - but most people pay about $350.

What do you think about marijuana used for medicinal purposes?
It can be pretty good for pain relief. Some people find it better for pain relief than I do. Some people like it for their back, I don't use it for my back, but I have muscle-aches and that - I find it works rather well. And generally because it relaxes your whole demeanor you feel less stressed out - pain and things. But to be honest, I'd say that I use it more recreationally than medicinally.

Do you use it to combat depression or sorrow?
(pause) That's a pretty personal question...

Yeah I know.
Maybe initially, when I was smoking it, like I was in a dark place but um, but yeah you know I was going through a rough patch. You know, at the time when I started smoking I was in a pretty bad place. But since then you know, my life's a lot better than it was so, perhaps back then I smoked it to get away from reality or something, but now I just do it 'cause I enjoy it. I don't feel you know, depressed when I smoke or anything.

What's your thoughts on using a substance like this for, you know, escaping reality for a bit.
You know, when you're - when you start to rely on a drug I think that's when the addiction - that's when you start to get psychologically addicted. So I try not to... If you ever think "Oh I need to have a smoke", that's that's the best time not to have one. I do something else 'cause then you don't become reliant on it.

So you weren't at any stage addicted to weed?
I don't find it addictive at all. The only thing is that if I don't smoke, sometimes I struggle with sleep. It says on the New Zealand Health website - if you stop smoking for 3 weeks, that sort of thing goes away. But it's never concerned me that much.

The two most academically intelligent people I know are both pot smokers aye which is quite funny. One is doing a PhD at University. The girl who's doing the PhD - you know, I've discussed the health risks with her, and she's quite knowledgeable on the subject and she believes the health risks are quite low. She explained the effects of other drugs as well. Like she believes psychedelics are very low health risk.

What do you think - is weed a gateway drug?
I don't know - I disagree with the idea. I think weed and other drugs - especially chemicals - it's a separate issue. I know some people that aren't really interested in doing other drugs that smoke weed, so I think - when you look at the amount of people in New Zealand that smoke weed, compared to that of using other drugs, it's very low - you know, cannabis is a lot higher percentage. It's a separate issue. I can see how being introduced to a drug by someone who sells pot... it can be an easy way to be introduced to a drug - especially if you go to their parties or whatever - so in that respect it can be a gateway drug. It's more about the lifestyle you're living - that will allow you to be... I mean if you just have your pot and have nothing to do with anything else... you do your own thing.

Do you have to be strong-willed about it?
For me, It doesn't really interest me to like, go to parties with people who have got those kind of drugs. You know, I don't lead that kind of life - so it's not really - it doesn't really bother me, so I don't get exposed to any other drugs. I don't know if it's like that for other people. Like I have been when I've been at parties like that.

What other drugs have you tried?
Recreationally, ritalin which was kinda fun, but you know, it's not something I'd ever do again. I just don't like taking chemicals, and it feels like - to me, the chemicals should be illegal. I know that I'm really doing wrong when I'm taking them. You know, there's a reason they're illegal - they're quite dangerous. You know like, ritalin, class B - it has its risks. But other than that, like I've taken a few class C drugs like valium and codeine and stuff. Pretty lame. I tried nutmeg once - it did nothing. It's supposed to make you stoned for like 3 days or something...

(laughter)

But it didn't do anything... it just gave me bad nutmeg burps... I drank heaps of the stuff, like 60 grams of nutmeg - it did nothing. Oh, I've done hash - an extract of weed.

Tell me about hash
I don't know much about hash, only done it once - just got really stoned.

How would you feel if your children were using weed?
I don't have any children.

But if you did?
Depends what age they are.

15?
Nah, they shouldn't be smoking at 15 'cause there's a lot of medical evidence that shows psychological disorders associated with smoking marijuana at a age under 18 - there's a significantly increased risk - at least in research I've read... Like if it was legalised I would never you know, it should be 18+, 21+ or something.

If you were a father, would you tend to steer your children away from drug use? How would you approach that?
I can't say - I'm not a father - too difficult for me to say at this point in my life, like what I would do. I might feel differently about it then. Yeah I can't really say right now.

Would you feel happy if...
Depends if it affected their lives probably - what manner it affected their lives, like because some people you know, don't go to school when they smoke pot and that kind of thing. So obviously that would be bad.

Right, thanks a lot - this has been really interesting.
No worries.

Give Me Something For The Pain

smoking a joint

"Give me something for the pain, Give me something for the blues..." - the Stereo sitting under the single raised bunk bed is playing the Bon Jovi tape that I bought along with a collection of classic 80's tapes in a multi-fluorescent patterned cassette-tape carry-bag at a garage sale a while back. My cup of coffee is empty and the heat from my computer's power-supply helps prevent my blood from freezing in my arteries as I sit in this freezer they call my room. I am reminded of the Medicinal Cannabis Ammendment Bill which Metiria Turei put in the ballot back in June 2006. Its first reading was tonight where it was defeated with 34 in favour and 86 against.

All five ACT MPs voted in favour of the bill which would have made a provision in the Misuse of Drugs Act for seriously sick people to use marijuana for pain relief. Obviously the bill's intention was to get a foot in the door for the ultimate decriminalisation of marijuana use and sale, however it was introduced under the banner of improving health-care in New Zealand. This is a standard method of bringing about social change, as can be illustrated with the passing of Sue Bradford's Anti-Smacking Law. It was passed under the guise of lowering child-abuse, however its passing is merely one step in the agenda to make children autonomous from their parents: wards of the state.

"We would be sending a signal that it's okay," said National MP Jonathan Coleman who is also a doctor. This is a commonly held postion however it doesn't make sense. There are plenty of things that are not ok, and yet we do not legislate against them. By simply decriminalising weed, the government would be admitting that something was illegal that should not have been. Rather than positively making the drug legal, they are instead passively decriminalising it: making no ruling either for or against it.

Why should weed be illegal? "Because it's bad for society" comes the standard reply. Apply this principle consistently across all facets of society, and you have a totalitarian state where even an individual's thoughts which are deemed to negatively affect society are legislated against. There are so many things that are bad for society. Letting young children watch too much low-quality television will wreck their minds, however there is no legislation against this. Why not? Quite simply because it is a matter of what is often called "common sense". Legislating against the excessive watching of low-quality television by young children is not the correct way to address the problem. Likewise, legislating against the use of marajuana is not the correct way to address the problem of the abuse of this drug.

Coming soon at StarStuddedSuperStep.com: An exclusive interview with a marijuana user. If you have a question you would like me to ask, please leave it as a comment.