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Do you Poke Smot?
Published on: Tuesday, January 19, 2010
By Brian J. Karem
This is an attempt at a logical monologue. Please hold all comments, criticisms and invectives until the end – and then please base them on logic not emotion. Thank you.
I overheard two adults talking the other night as they came out of the movie “It’s Complicated,” and the discussion had little to do with the movie. It centered on marijuana.
One of those involved had become very irritated about the “moral issue” of seeing two senior citizens, i.e. Meryl Streep and Steve Martin smoking marijuana in the movie.
The other adult was amused and wondered why marijuana is still illegal when so many people have either consumed cannabis sativa or currently consume said evil weed.
There are many initiatives across the country to make the medical use of marijuana legal, but the idea of the consumption of marijuana for recreational purposes still floats in the nether regions.
One adult pointed out that marijuana isn’t as dangerous as cigarettes nor as dangerous as alcohol – and both of those drugs are legal.
“It’s the moral issue. Our children shouldn’t be taught to do things that are morally wrong,” said the other adult.
This is where I would normally interject myself into a discussion, but as my wife and I were walking in a different direction from the two people involved, I merely smiled and went on my way.
For many reasons one could argue that the legalization of marijuana is something whose time has come. For many reasons one can argue against the legalization of marijuana, but logically I can find no substance in an argument that talks about the morality of the issue.
Hypocrisy certainly is germane to the issue, but not morality.
It’s not even a liberal versus conservative issue. Not really. I have known a lot – and by that I mean dozens if not hundreds – of conservatives and liberals who have tried marijuana, smoked it recreationally or shrugged with no comment at its use. If you talk with these people one on one even those who do not or have never used it see nothing exceptionally wrong with it.
Yet, our society frowns upon the use of marijuana as if it were something akin to pedophilia.
Logically, this makes no sense. Legalization sympathizers have long pointed at the money to be made by the government and large corporations by legitimizing this billion dollar industry – and obviously that makes some sense. All the efforts to eradicate marijuana’s use have failed miserably. There’s an argument to be made for saving budget money in law enforcement by legalization. There's also the tax money that could be made and the profit that could be taken away from street gangs.
Sure. That’s logical. It’s also logical that you don’t want your kids messing with drugs, I guess even if you once took those drugs yourself.
Anecdotally I can offer two stories which may shed some light on the situation.
To begin, I worked as a bouncer in a bar in college and I never once had to break up a fight started by someone who was high. I broke up a lot of beer fights, but most pot smokers had other problems. They ate a lot and said “Dude,” and “man,” but never fought.
I’ve also noticed many of my peers have an extremely hard time talking to their own children about drug use. I suspect it is because we’re part of a generation that has hidden it from our parents and our children. Now those children are growing up and parents need to talk to them. But emotions cloud reason.
In short, I find little logic in the current situation. I can’t put my finger on it. I can’t hide it. It is what it is – and what it is fills me with dread.
Our generation falls short in so many areas and this is another one. We’ve made the discussion of this issue in any logical form impossible. We’ve demonized it and scared ourselves out of talking about it – using it as a litmus test for “right thinking.” Meanwhile we have children following in our generation’s footsteps and remarking – rightfully – how hypocritical we are.
Someone needs to talk with these kids openly and honestly about drug abuse and addiction - as openly as my parents spoke to me.
It was fun seeing this addressed so openly on the big screen – and so disheartening that we don’t do it in real life.
Reader Comments - 8 Total
Posted By: J. Burns On: 1/29/2010
Title: Part of History
I have not seen this movie yet, so it would be hard to comment on the message it could be sending our kids.
However, this idea of a "Drug-Free" America is a bit strange to me. Consider the fact that the Declaration of Independence is written on a marijauna product. Or the fact that the founding fathers all grew marijuana for various things. It was even considered patriotic to wear home-spun hemp clothing during the American Revolution. The Centennial celebration of our independence was basically a big pot/gun party!
Should children be using drugs? Of course not.
Should said drug be illegal for everyone because they hold the minority perspective concerning adult usage? Of course not.
If this is incorrect, then why protect the rights of any minority's views?
Posted By: B On: 1/19/2010
Title:
I don't see any morality issue with pot, other than you could argue that it is immoral to put money into an underground criminal system that hurts a lot of people. And you could argue that breaking a legitimate law passed by legitimately elected representatives of our own choosing is also immoral in a democracy. But there is nothing inherently immoral about smoking pot outside of the external factors we have built up around it. That being said, of course children shouldn't be using it. There isn't anything hypocritical about that. There are lots of things adults can do that children can't or shouldn't. I also don't see how the fact that I may have done something and hid it from my parents would make it any harder for me to talk to my kids about it, or punish them for doing what I did when I was their age. It isn't like I'd think my kids were horrible people for trying pot or speeding or whatever. The point would be I'm their parent and it's my job to enforce the rules. Am I hypocrite for sending my son to time out for hitting his brother just because I also hit my brother when I was my son's age? If people are having a problem with this kind of thing, they need to grow up and start parenting.
Posted By: pothead/monster On: 1/19/2010
Title: im a monster
I am a 23 year old part-time student, full-time worker and stoner. I grew up in Rockville, MD and I just bought my first house.
Me and a buddy made the stupid mistake of 'poking smot' in the Rio parking garage before a movie on a Friday night. Our plan: smoke-up, watch movie, start work on my house. We where caught, searched, arrested, strip-searched and spent the night at 7 locks (holding). Even though we had less than a gram combined, we where charged with "intent to distribute" (a felony charge), because of a couple empty bags and $1105 in cash (to pay workers, ATM receipt in wallet)
There where 9 men in our cell: 2 perverts, 5 potheads (including ourselves) and 2 guys with $50 fines and 'change of address' issues. It's amazing to see our tax dollars at work.
Im engineering student/worker my friend, a writer/administrator. Now we are both FELONS (pending trial). That is the same category as murderers, car-thieves and rapists. What kind of state is this where hard-working, tax-paying, productive members of society are thrown in jail for something so benevolent? Im sorry Maryland, I'll never take this law seriously. Even if there where a death penalty, to me, it will always be "just smoking weed." For all you drinkers out there remember: 90 years ago you would have been considered a "monster" too.
Posted By: Podge "Squirts" Style On: 1/19/2010
Title: ALERT: A fear mongering gov't...
Most people just believe what they are told and go along nodding, smiling and reiterating the BS. "Pot is immoral." Why? "Cause my Dad said so."
New alert for the sheeple: It's not illegal because of morality issues, that's for sure.
When will people realize government uses fear to control the masses?
How about a little refresher, or for most people - a history lesson:
http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/
Posted By: dude On: 1/19/2010
Title: often saying "dude" before anything meaningful..
dude, the biggest roadblock to the decriminalization of pot is very likely the huge amount of money/jobs in drug enforcement, from the borders to the courts, to the meals served to inmates. considering the huge percentage of drug offenders who are in for marijuana versus say opiates or cocaine, i venture to say it's big business either side of the argument. and you know how old people (who make the laws) hate to change anything that 'works'..
Posted By: Rockville citizen On: 1/19/2010
Title:
The moral issue, if there is one, is that anti-marijuana laws are selectively forced and openly defied by a large segment of society--namely, the affluent segment that very unlikely to get busted and do years in jail for smoking a joint. If kids don't see this in movies, it's likely that they'll see it at any rock concert, outdoor gathering, or maybe in their own living rooms.
The author is correct that as a society we've backed ourselves into a corner through decades of anti-pot rhetoric, all the while continuing to wink at open pot use and laugh at stoner humor. I wonder if the current economic crisis--with states starved for tax revenue and facing overcrowding in prisons--will succeed where other attempts at reason have failed.
Posted By: Nic Berry On: 1/19/2010
Title: We do.
Maybe the veil covers the U.S. governement, but in Canada, namely British Columbia, the argument is far from unheard. Here the marijuana party (yes it's real) has a voice and routinely knocks down legislation against its recreational use. It is also decriminalized in a good portion of the proivnce so perfectly normal 18 year olds who've done nothing but puff the chiba aren't jailed sharing cells with pedophiles and certainly aren't viewed on the same level.
Posted By: Peter from Wheaton On: 1/19/2010
Title:
Moral issue? No. How can it be? Our society allows people to consume alcohol and tobacco legally so I'm unable to understand how it can be a moral issue. If our society outlawed all such drugs one might be able to argue it's a moral issue - that is to allow any substance to be consumed that alters the thinking process. But that's not what we have stated as a society. Personally, I think it should be legalized, regulated and taxed - like alcohol. So this means no driving while high. I recall that when I attended junior high school in Montgomery County it was easier to get pot or cocaine than hard liquor.
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