nutritional needs and is often deficient in anumber of essential vitamins, which can also lead to brain and nerve damage. Chronic drinkingalso causes damage to a number of major organs. One of these important organs is the liver andis a serious cause of death amongst heavy drinkers. Alcohol damage to the liver ranges fromacute fatty liver to hepatitis, necrosis, and cirrhosis. Obviously, chronic drinking is not very safe,just as chronic pot smoking is not either. However, the same argument can be made for just aboutany substance. Chronic coffee drinking, chronic eating, chronic sunbathing are all harmfulactivities which leads one to ponder why there is such strong emphasis on these intoxicatingactivities. However, these are extreme cases and moderate indulgence in both marijuana andalcohol is generally considered safe.So again, why is one legal and the other not? Well obviously because of the shadydealings that went with the legislative decision to outlaw the substance. Also the fact thatmarijuana was considered a foreign substance and not part of our Euro-American cultureprobably instilled a little fear of the unknown in people’s minds. When considering a comparisonbetween a drunk driver and a stoned driver, the argument that alcohol is the legal substance doesnot seem logical. A drunk driver with increased confidence and impaired physical control behinda wheel seems much more dangerous than a stoned guy driving thirty miles an hour concentratingas hard as he can to get to taco bell. In my humble opinion, I do feel that both of these substancesshould be legal, not just because they are enjoyable, but because so many people do responsiblyindulge in the use of these substances. This is America; this is not an elementary schoolclassroom where the teacher punishes the whole class because a select few have to spoilsomething. However, I do not believe that the legalization of marijuana will occur anytime soon,if ever. Even if it is le...
