Pass The Dutchie To The Left Hand Side…

By Rupert Truscott-Hughes on July 13, 2015 in Other

Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a massive fan of drugs. Generally speaking, I’m opposed to illegal drug use. I have seen first hand the damage that heroin, cocaine and ice can do. I have friends who took ‘bad trips’ and never really returned. But that’s not to say I’m completely narrow-minded.

Despite my disdain for most illegal drugs, my feelings change a little when it comes to the issue of legalising marijuana.

On April 20, conceptual artist and marijuana activist Jesse Willesee was arrested for smoking weed on the Town Hall steps, a stunt that he filmed, uploaded to YouTube, and which eventually garnered over 1 million views. On May 20, Willesee escaped a criminal record and was given a 15-month good behaviour bond after facing court at Sydney’s Downing Centre.

While some observers have described Willesee as ‘brave’ for putting his own ‘good character’ on the line to push his drug law reform agenda, to me he comes across as an attention seeking little twat. That aside, he’s certainly garnering quite a following, and he’s getting plenty of airtime for the pro-marijuana movement.

Reading the result of his trial got me thinking more deeply about marijuana legislation, and from my incredibly brief bit of research I’ve got to admit that I’m starting to side with Mr Willesee. Given the constraints of Beast word counts, I’ve compressed my findings in favour of legalising marijuana down to the following four main points…

Legalisation won’t necessarily lead to increased use – Not only can legal substances can be controlled in ways that illegal substances cannot, given how easy it is to acquire marijuana currently and the fact that a vast majority of our population doesn’t actually use it, it’s hard to see how legalising it will make much difference to its consumption. My next-door neighbour is a regular smoker and often offers me a toke, but I choose not to, simply because I prefer not to be stoned. It has nothing to do with the legality of the practice.

The benefits of criminalisation are miniscule (if any) – In fact, I’d say the benefits are less than the costs. Legalising marijuana and taxing it would actually be a good way to help this country get out of debt.

Marijuana has legitimate medical effects – From treating glaucoma to controlling epileptic seizures, easing the pain of Multiple Sclerosis and relieving the discomfort associated with arthritis (among many other things), marijuana has far more benefits than simply making you feel high and listen to Bob Marley.

Marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco – Marijuana is less addictive than both of these substances and compares favourably on nearly every health metric, yet alcohol and tobacco are legal and marijuana is not. Casual use of marijuana poses little or no risk for healthy people, yet you need only look to our lockout laws and the reason for their implementation to see the damage that alcohol can do. I don’t imagine too many ‘coward punches’ take place after a few cones.

So there you have it. While I don’t often smoke the ganja, I see no reason not to legalise it. It might be high time to invest in some Clear Eyes shares!