If I Could Change Three Drug Laws

Each year Americans spend $28 billion dollars to fight the war on drugs. It has been brought to my attention that our drug laws are in desperate need of revision. While many of the substances we classify as illegal are dangerous and do need to be controlled by our government, there are several that should be legalized and one very common and popular drug that should be made illegal. In this paper I will discuss three drugs and how the laws should be changed.

The first drug law I would like to change is in regard to a naturally occurring herb known as Salvia Divinorum. First used centuries ago by Mazatec Indians as a divination and healing tool, salvia can be chewed or more commonly smoked. Salvia is classified as a Hallucinogenic Drug. It has only recently been banned in Ohio, as of April 1 2009.

According to the information available on www.webmd.com in 2006 1.8 million people over the age of 12 reported experimenting with salvia, which is sometimes known as Magic Mint. Known side effects of the herb include: uncontrollable laughter, feelings of euphoria, a heightened sense of self awareness, decreased heart rate, dizziness, hallucinations and slurred speech. After smoking the crushed leaves of the herb the high lasts from 5 to 20 minutes. Intensity varies depending upon the strength of the smoked herb. Salvia is gaining popularity with the masses for several reasons. Of course the short time that the high lasts and the fact that no reported cases of death or incident have been reported in relation to Salvia Divinorum are major factors for the increased popularity of this 'magical' herb.

Salvia Divinorum should be legalized for recreational usage by adults because it possesses characteristics that could make the herb beneficial for the treatment of heart disease, sleeping disorders, and diabetic renal failure to name a few. Asides from the potential health benefits, Salvia is far less dangerous than the alternatives such as LSD. If this herb has been used for centuries without reported incidents or death, it has no business being an illegal substance. Additionally, the fact that salvia is illegal makes it more appealing to some. The reality is that some people enjoy seeking alternatives to reality, and hallucinogenic drugs will continue to be used for many years to come. With that having been said, it would make sense to legalize and control the usage of Salvia Divinorum. If people are going to purchase such mind altering substances, we should be collecting tax revenue from the sale of such items.

Marijuana is an illegal substance that has been used by persons from all walks of life. According to the information available on www.webmd.com, the known side effects of marijuana include: paranoia, rapid heart rate, red eyes, increased appetite, and slowed reaction time. Marijuana is frequently prescribed for glaucoma and cancer patients for its medicinal properties. Again, no reported deaths have been associated with the use of marijuana. It has been proven that smoking marijuana can lead to lung cancer, but that is true of many variables. Unfortunately breathing, smoking, eating and drinking out of plastic bottles left inside of hot cars can also lead to cancer. I would like to make the move to legalize marijuana for several reasons. Our police departments are facing budget cuts and shortages of manpower. The time spent by law enforcement to apprehend persons caught using or distributing marijuana could be better spent pursuing real criminals. Correctional facilities are overcrowded as it is, which ends up costing the tax payer even more money to confine people who are incarcerated due to marijuana charges. Finally, I would like to point out that legalizing marijuana would result in an increase of tax revenue. Times are tough all over, and as a country, collectively, it does not make sense to turn our noses up at the possibility of an increase in tax revenues that could be allocated for a variety of uses. People are going to buy marijuana, if the substance was legalized, it would be taxed, and that would work out for everyone involved.

Finally, I would make alcohol illegal. It has been argued that alcohol is the most dangerous drug known to mankind. The effects of alcohol include: mood swings, loss of balance, vision and coordination, to name a few. Alcohol is not only dangerous to the body; prolonged use has been linked to hypoglycemia, heart, liver and brain damage, but it is also dangerous to society. From 75,000 to 100,000 Alcohol related deaths occur each year in the United States. It is socially acceptable to use and abuse alcohol on a regular basis, many people never consider how detrimental this drug can be to human life. As a country we spend over $28 billion to fight the war on drugs but we do very little to fight the war on alcohol. Drug related deaths pale in comparison to the 75,000 to 100,000 alcohol related deaths each year. Such a dangerous drug should not be legal and so easily obtainable to such a large number of people.

As a final thought, how many marijuana related Labor Day Weekend accidents and or deaths do we hear about each year? Now ask yourself the same thing about alcohol related accidents and deaths for the same time frame.