Things
I'm not really sure what to write about. It's been a long time. To be honest, I haven't been attending classes regularly since the beginning of the semster. I don't consider myself to be having any problems in classes, it's just that I hate being out in this weather as well as waking up early, so I've been studying at home during class instead of going to those classes. This has been a fairly good strategy for me so far. Hell, a couple weeks ago I sat there from 10am to 8:30pm reading 6 chapters in my drugs and behavior book. I must say, I've never been more interested in a course. I have always found an interest in mind altering substances, and have experienced my share. Growing up I had a fascination with the hippy movement of the 70's as well as the punk scene of 85. Deviation and the ways in which certain chemicals and neurotransmitters affect the brain--as well as the ways in which these two things are tied--are fascinations of mine. Abnormal psychology. Drugs and behavior. I am fully aware that this fascination is detrimental in some people's eyes. I know that I've done things that many would look down on me for. I have been reckless at times. I'm not perfect and never will I say I am. I don't expect other people to believe in my ideals, or to even agree with me. I believe in the legalization of some controlled substances. Not necessarily now, but at some point. I recognize that most drugs are addictive, and capable of producing signs of tolerance as well as withdrawal, whether physically or mentally. But I still some of them as controllable. In my opinion, our current US culture is what makes drugs a problem. You will notice that in other countries, substances we consider in the US to be illegal, may be in normal use in that country, or vice versa. For example, in Muslim countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, alcohol is illegal. In Nepal and parts of India, marijuana is legal. Most drugs found within the US were legal and in use for several years before they became illegal. Opium drinking in the form of laudenum was commonplace, though mainly a woman's habit, as the men were expected to go out drinking alcohol in the saloon instead. Opium was also smoked, majorly by Chinese immigrants in the 1850's and 60's. However, the prejudiced attitude toward the Chinese immigrants eventually caused San Francisco to outlaw opium smoking in the fears that "many women and young girls, as well as young men of respectable family, were being induced to visit dens (in which opium smoking took place), where they were ruined morally and otherwise." This soon led to a federal ban. There are many other cases like this. This is the kind of information that makes me wonder. If chinese immigrants had never come over, or had done so at a later time in our history, would things have turned out differently? If things had gone a little differently, would we have cigarettes and alcohol at the nearest gas station today? Or would you need to go to your dealer and pay $20 for your daily nicotine rush? Illegality of a substance seems to be set in many ways by societal standards and how the public views the drugs. Cocaine use was extremely popular among the wealthy and famous in the 1980's. Even Calvin Klein ran a campaign of fragrance advertisements in the mid-90's illustrating "Herion Chic", which featured models with an emaciated look, as made popular by movies such as Pulp Fiction. Basically, I just don't see how people can just assume the dividing line between good and bad is so defined. I'm not trying to convince anyone to do drugs. I'm just saying, be a critical thinker about it. I don't believe that the government has brainwashed us into thinking that drugs are bad. There are significant clinical studies that show us that there are indeed negative consequences for many drugs, and there are good reasons as to why many drugs are outlawed. Knowledge, I think, is key.