The Supremes

The Supreme Court has ruled against medical marijuana and it’s created quite a stir. Those advocates, both pro and con, are quite vocal about their positions. I guess I can add my opinion as well…

First; I don’t smoke…anything. I don’t drink and the only drugs I’m taking are an aspirin a day and some vitamins. And when I look at this issue I see it only as a matter of fairness. Alcohol has certainly ruined more lives than marijuana. Tobacco use kills and disfigures thousands of people each year. Yet those two drugs have some respectability, why? True, tobacco’s respectability is on the wane, but tobacco stock is still traded on the stock exchanges and reputable? Magazines still feature ads for its use. But the government refuses to even consider studying or discussing marijuana for any possible benefit. (There may be some benefits, but I would assume that it’s fairly small.)

The whole subject baffles me. Alcohol and nicotine are drugs that are poisonous to the central nervous system. Alcoholism is rampant throughout the world. There is no debate on that. People don’t drink bourbon because it tastes good; they drink it because of how it makes them feel when they drink it. Wine may taste better, but the underlying reason to drink it is because of how it makes you feel. Have a glass of wine…unwind.

I suppose I will never understand it; why alcohol and tobacco get respect and another, very similar drug, doesn’t. But shouldn’t “Being fair” enter into the decision as to whether or not a drug should be studied?