NORML fixed
by mahispearNovember 29th, 2007 at 8:36 AM
Filed under: Arts & Entertainment, Other Discursive Dialogue
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When students traveling around the UCF campus pass someone who is wearing a NORML shirt, their first thought is normally "pothead, stoner, druggie." Are these students being profiled because of the organization they are involved with? Is anyone really thinking to themselves at first glance, "Look at these fine young students involved with the national organization for the reform of marijuana laws?" In our society today marijuana usage is NOT accepted. People are fronded upon for openly using illegal drugs. I will pose another question however. How many of these critics have themselves smoked marijuana or used other illegal substances? I will admit that I have experimented with drugs, but I still look at those individuals wearing the NORML shirts and think potheads. Is joining an organization based around marijuana legalization a good idea? Some feel strongly that there needs to be a reform of marijuana laws. I myself feel that legalization of this drug would only bring a positive outcome. Making users no longer criminals and eliminating the organized crime aspect. Alcohol prohibition showed us that making a substance illegal doesn't stop its use; it simply makes it go underground, because if people are willing to pay someone is willing to sell. Alcohol and tobacco is readily available to persons of age in our country, so it must be safer right? According to the NORML web site annually about 50,000 deaths are caused by alcohol poisoning and more than 400,000 deaths attributed to tobacco smoking. In contrast marijuana is said to be "nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose." These figures do not even take into account the amount of deaths caused by driving under the influence of alcohol. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website show that there are about "75,000 deaths attributable to excessive alcohol use."In addition "excessive alcohol use is the 3rd leading lifestyle-related cause of death for people in the United States each year." Now, why is it that when students traveling around the UCF campus pass someone who is wearing a shirt with a beer or liquor logo, they don't even notice? NORML is being profiled by students, faculty, and anyone who knows what NORML stands for. I interviewed one student who admitted that "they smoke weed reguarly," and I asked if they would join NORML. Their reply, "nope," they knew that if they were associated with the group that faculty, fellow students, and their resident assistant would then basically know that they smoked. If a person is doing something illegal the first objective is to not get caught. When you are associated with NORML it is assumed that you smoke marijuana regularly and this is why you are in the organization, to make it legal. Are marijuana users really criminals, should they be classified with robbers, sex offenders even killers. In 2006 violators of marijuana laws included 738,915 Americans for simple possession under 20 grams, as well as 90,710 individuals for "sale/manufacture." This FBI category includes marijuana grown for personal use or purely medical purposes. These FBI statistics indicate that one marijuana user is arrested every 38 seconds in America. The combined number of marijuana arrests for 2006 exceeded the combined number of arrests by far for violent crimes, including murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Is NORML being targeted? Many of us at UCF have encountered a NORML member at one time or another, experiences may vary. However in general they are no different than most students, in fact I find them to be much friendlier and easy going in comparison with the average UCF student. I will regularly see them in class, as opposed to the stereotype that pot smoker skip class daily. I must admit I have sat next to them in class and smelled the unmistakable scent of marijuana. This does not mean that perform at a lower level, simply in a different state of mind. Some of the brightest minds at my former high school smoked marijuana; these individuals received acceptance letters to prestigious colleges including Harvard, Duke, and Boston University. Even our valid Victorian was known to indulge every so often. Drug usage has attributed to some of the most renowned artistic contributions to society. Classic literary masterpieces such as the works of Shakespeare, Hemingway, and Robert Louis Stevenson were written or influenced by drug use. Also acclaimed musicians such as the Beatles, Bob Marley, and Willie Nelson wrote about drugs or while under the influence of drugs. Bob Marley united Jamaica when it was on the verge of civil war. John Lennon was assonated for his beliefs of peace and harmony. Could one of these NORML members one day contribute something great to our world? If we had no drug users, America would lose part of its creative culture, a culture taken for granted; never the less something that affects each of us directly or indirectly. What if Shakespeare never wrote anything interesting, if there was no underlying meaning to his works? Would he still be considered a literary genius? What if the Beatles were 100% sober and their career never took off. Imagine what the world would have missed out on. What makes these smokers any different than members of NORML? Well they are famous and it is not easy to put down someone who is in the media. Paris Hilton is known to be a cocaine user, but most of the students who would put down a member of NORML would still love Paris. Is it bias that brings stereotyping to marijuana smokers? Yes, but the difficulty is that not much can be done to change individual's views of NORML. Whatever is said, done, or even accomplished is insufficient to break the views that NORML is a bunch of pot smoking, good for nothing, hippies. I have nothing personally against NORML. The members I have met have been nothing but kind, informative, and friendly. What more could you want in an organization? NORML athletics at UCF was out in front of the student union one day and I went to chat with them. They are active athletes with the trophies to prove it. One thing that set them apart was that they handed out bic lighters at their table. I thought this was humorous to encourage smoking and sports. Though when I was on swim team I made it all the way to states in my second year and both years I participated I smoked heavily. So who says you cannot smoke and swim? I am also a freediver and can hold my breath three minutes or longer. Would you believe that after smoking two packs of Marlboros a day that I could still do this? Well I can and I do. So why is it still that people look down upon NORML? It could be how open they are about their ideals or how they defy the norm and the law. Maybe it is just human nature to try to find the negative in things. I feel that NORML is a valid organization; however I would not join such a group that faces so much skepticism and prejudice. It defies common sense as well as the fundamental rule of doing something illegal: don't get caught. Furthermore I was under the influence of marijuana the entire time I wrote this essay. How does that change your view of this paper's content and validity? This is exactly my point you change your views about someone when you know they smoke marijuana. You probably assume I have less credibility and that I was "just high." I have one final confession to make; I was not under the influence at any time during the formation of this essay. That was just to make you conceder me from both sides. Which do you find more reputable? |
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The problem with Marijuana, is you are either high, extremely high, or not at all. (What I have been told, I've personally never used it and I do not plan to.) With alcohol, it can be consumed in moderation. You are not instantly drunk by having one drink.
I agree with Count on his/her position.
What average person really wants to support a group that is known for using an illegal product?
Take it easy and take care,
-Todd
-Todd
Good article. I think marijuana users suffer from stereotyping because as a culture our mental image of a pot smoker, a hippy who sits around, is 40 years old. That's one main obstacles of groups like NORML, they aren't seen as productive members of society. A LOT more people use pot than admit to it, and like you said they don't join these groups because they are protecting themselves.
This was a great article. I agree with you that people often have many stereotypes about those who smoke marijuana, but I disagree about the whole NORML shirt thing. I didn't even know what NORML was until I read this article. You used great examples all throughout the paper. I especially liked your point that the number of people arrested for consumption or distribution of marijuana exceeds the number of arrests for far more serious things.
You still have me wondering though...were you really high when you wrote the paper?