" Hey man, lets go smoke a blunt. We are just too cool." Those words come out of so many teenage mouths. Marijuana also known as weed, Mary Jane, pot, hash, chronic, cannabis etc. is a common drug used among teens. Ever since marijuana was prohibited in the United States, use of the drug has skyrocketed. Not to mention that drug-related crime rates have also escalated. More often than not, marijuana is being used by kids who assume that "its cool to be bad." So if we were to legalize pot, wouldn't that lead to a lower usage rate and lower crime rates?
"Because drugs are so surrounded by taboos, they invite rebellious behavior." Written in 1993 by the best-selling natural health author Andrew Weil, M.D., this quote is so sad yet true. Being deviant to society's norms is considered to be "cool" or "respectable" among young kids and teens. Unfortunately, our society's attempt to control drug-taking by making some substances illegal plays into the hands of rebellious children. When prohibition of marijuana was introduced there was a common assumption that the laws discourage marijuana use. But there is evidence that marijuana prohibition does not deter use, as very few people who do not use marijuana base their decision on a fear of being caught. Studies show that the percentage of those born between 1919 and 1929 that reports having tried marijuana before age 21 was only 0.4%. This number has unfortunately been increasing throughout the century: The rate for those born between 1966 and 1970 was 51.4%. (www.mpp.org). In a 1996 Washington Post article, "Marijuana Users' Air of Defiance," quoted several local students' opinions that marijuana is "cool" and that pot smokers get "respect." A National Council on Crime and Delinquency publication notes that children "are sometimes attracted to drugs because they are illegal." ( www.mpp.org).
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