Barney and Me

I don't often find myself in agreement with a Democrat US Representative from Massachusetts, but I was pleased to hear Barney Frank's announcement that he would be sponsoring Federal legislation to decriminalize the possession and use of small amounts of marijuana.



Consider this list of consumables:

• Bacon
• Beer
• Cigarettes
• Cocaine
  
• Crystal Meth
  
• Cigars
• Fugu
  
• Ham
• Heroin
• Marijuana
  
• Whiskey
  
• Wine

I don't care about the legal status of anything on the above list. Why? Because I choose not to consume any of them. Even if they were all legal and free, I would still turn them down. I make these choices based on values instilled in me by my parents and the church schools they sent me to. I've seen friends and family suffer pain after consuming items on the above list. The official government position makes little or no difference to me.

Some might argue that legalization "sends the wrong message." Government is a very poor communications medium. (Government's role is to protect inalienable rights, not enforce morality.) If you want to discourage the consumption of something, you can always put up a website, buy ads in newspapers, yell at your kids, hire a skywriter, or whatever.

The unintended consequences of criminalizing possession and/or use of consumables do impact my life. I can't freely carry large sums of cash, because government agents can confiscate cash and will and then force me to prove the cash was not the proceeds from drug dealing.

Adam Smith will not be denied; so long as there is demand there will be supply. And if the buyers and sellers can't settle disputes in the legal arena, they will do so through physical violence.

My employer and I have an agreement that I will not consume certain substances. I entered into that agreement willingly, and that agreement includes a commitment on my part to periodically prove I'm holding up my end of the bargain. Again, the legality of those substances is irrelevant.

I believe that many of the items on the list will, in the long term, have a negative impact on my quality of life. By choosing to abstain I believe I will achieve better health and happiness. By the same token, pain is an excellent teacher--even when the pain happens to someone else!

Bottom line: let adult individuals make their own choices about what to consume, and let the individuals live with the inevitable results. Confine government to its role of protecting my inalienable rights, leaving moral advice to families, churches, and other voluntary organizations.