One day, I was scrolling through someecards.com and I saw the best card I've ever seen.
"I don't need pot to be hungry, lazy and paranoid," it said.
Never in my life has something in print described exactly how I felt about a subject.
I've never understood the appeal of weed. I realize many think it's fun, relaxing or mind-opening. But to me, that's just not worth punishment.
Maybe someday, if or when it's legalized, I'll give it a chance. But until then, I'll just stick to the occasional cigar and night out to the bars with my friends, something that won't get me arrested.
But an alderman in Chicago wants to change the laws regarding marijuana. Instead of a misdemeanor, he wants possession of small amounts of weed to be a ticketable offense. Instead of jail-time, those who are holding 10 grams or less will be required to pay up to $200.
I can't applaud this idea enough.
First of all, it's my opinion that marijuana should be legalized anyway. It's a naturally growing plant which barely needs processing to become a finished product. If tobacco is legal, why not weed?
This may not be complete legalization and regulation, but it's a step in that direction.
Second, I'm all for unclogging prisons. If Chicago prisons stop taking in people who were in possession of only a few grams of pot, maybe they'll be able to keep those who truly deserve an extended sentence in the penal system.
Many times I've heard people say prison isn't where you learn to walk the straight and narrow, it's where you learn how to be a better criminal. If small-time pot smokers are no longer forced into the jails, maybe fewer will learn how to become a more damaging criminal, and crime rates might go down.
Undoubtedly, the courts will become less crowded. Right now, judges' time is wasted by bringing a small-time offender to the stand, only to have the case dismissed or drawn out. The time now used to prosecute or dismiss people holding a couple nuggets of weed just might be used to bring those to court who truly did some damage.
Finally, can you imagine the money this law will bring to Chicago? A San Francisco Chronicle reporter estimates Chicago spends about $78 million a year on arrests and prosecution of minor marijuana possession.
I highly doubt all $78 million will be recovered under the new law, but there will definitely be a decrease in that spending. And a $200 fee for every offense will bring that $78 million much closer to a zero balance, bringing more money into Chicago.
I plan to move to Chicago after I graduate, and I want the city to prosper. I would rather not move into a city which is going bankrupt. Easing controls on marijuana will bring money, and freedom, back to the city.
Even someone who doesn't smokes pot can appreciate that.
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