LET'S BE BLUNT ABOUT IT

Cuff, Cuff, Pass by. C.W.


   Tobacco and marijuana, two substances smoked by a large portion of the nation have become the topic of discussion for many to argue over. Whether it is the legality, harmful side effects, or stigma behind the two they provide great material to spend the next three weeks arguing over. You don’t have to use the substances to see the impact they have on modern society. Some people try to point out the differences, while others proclaim the similarities, but for me I think the lines are blurred.
 In the year 2011 over fifty thousand people were arrested in New York City for possession of marijuana.  It’s clear to say that cigarettes differ greatly from weed in the legal aspect but can that be attested? Pot heads will defend the situation saying that the money spent on arresting these people can be used for a greater purpose. Cigarette companies pay millions of dollars on lobbyist to keep their product legal and on the market. Marijuana smokers say that legalizing and taxing the weed can be extremely profitable and through numbers at you like a baseball pitcher. I don’t doubt them but it’s hard to argue something that has been legal as long as cigarettes.
      Even when prohibition ruled alcohol illegal, cigarettes stayed on the shelf throughout the period. Marijuana was made illegal in the early twentieth century but what some say was the result of a smear campaign. Pot smokers will tell you of a man whose industry was threatened by the introduction of hemp (a plant like marijuana) and how he pushed hard enough to get congress to ban the plant. Cigarettes like weed have been a child of shady deals and big business. Will marijuana ever become legal, doesn’t look like anytime soon, sorry Cheech and Chong.
      The ironic thing about it all and probably pot heads best defense is that throughout the millions killed by smoking cigarettes no one has died of a direct result of smoking marijuana. Emphysema and other smoking related problems like poor circulation and throat or mouth cancer have killed off a large part of the smoking population. In the other direction medical marijuana has been growing at a substantial rate. I noticed on numerous times articles explaining the beneficial effects of weed and not all in High Times. Since medical weed doesn’t have to be smoked it is very possible that the same cancer patient that got their illness from cigarettes is now being treated with marijuana.
    There is still a large defense of the harmful effects of weed. It is true that weed causes lung cancer and other carcinogen problems but this is one place where lines get blurred since most marijuana smokers also smoke cigarettes. You can’t deny the harmful effects of marijuana but does it outweigh the medicinal properties of the drug?
     Every day when you watch T.V. there is a good chance you might see a PSA (Public Service Announcement) informing you of the negative effects of marijuana or tobacco. It’s amusing to see the biggest similarity between cigarettes and weed is the amount of people trying to stop the usage. Whether it’s in health class in high school or a giant billboard in New York City there is an army of anti-smoking supporters. Facts are thrown around like pinballs providing you with an overload of information and nothing to do with it. Tobacco is hit hard as gross and intimating ex-smokers tell war stories of how long they smoked and how many cancers they have. I know some parents that would rather have their kids hitting the bong then buying packs of Newports.
    Though marijuana is illegal tobacco still has it legal restrictions. In most states you have to be at least eighteen to buy but there really is no age to smoke though. Plus it’s easy to buy cigarettes under age creating a market that is almost impossible to regulate. It’s easy to see the money backing these giant tobacco companies pay for a clear passage to your wallet.
    Marijuana and tobacco have been around for hundreds of years and probably discussed for almost as long. It’s not really the ethics that show in a person when they compare and contrast the two but really their field of knowledge. C.W.