Dr. Timothy Leary was one of the
most prominent figures during the counterculture of the 1960s, and since those
times has remained influential on music, pop culture, television, literature
and film. His popular slogan, “Turn on, tune in, drop out”, persuaded millions
of people to take drugs and explore alternative lifestyles. Leary’s main
message – and another one of his famous slogans – was to get people to think
for themselves and question authority. It’s a message that’s still relevant
today. When LSD was made illegal in 1967, Leary’s went from being an active
leader to being mainly a symbol. The government decided that it was going to
make an example of Leary in its war against drugs. President Nixon even called
him “the most dangerous man in the world.” While making LDS illegal, it didn’t
decline the use of the drug, if anything it increased it, but it did change the
way the psychedelic movement was developing. The music festivals came to an end
mainly because possession of LDS was now a misdemeanor and selling was a
felony.
Instead of looking at the medical
evidence provided to them, the government made the choice to make LSD illegal
based on their fears of the recreational use taking place. Without any real
medical reasons to ban such drugs, as well as the possible benefits that
increased research could discover, it begs the question why was the government
so afraid of what this psychedelic movement might produce? The government was
afraid of the radical counter-culture, and their calls to change the establishment.
Many people in the government viewed drugs such as marijuana and LSD as the
fuel for this counter-culture, so it only would make sense to cut it off as its
source.
If our country can legalize alcohol
and cigarettes, why not marijuana for recreational use?
Fifty years ago, the idea of
marijuana being legalized would have seemed outrageous and impossible to most
people. Attitudes regarding marijuana regulation have also changed as some
states - Colorado and Washington - have passed their own laws legalizing
marijuana for recreational use. If marijuana is legalized in all states, it
will dramatically influence the future of American culture, particularly its
economic, social and medical structures. Marijuana smoking, while thought to affect the brain and body
many times long after one has stopped using the drug, is generally not any more
harmful than alcohol or tobacco if used in moderation. So what’s the problem?
Legalization of marijuana would likely mean a lower price of the drug and
reducing related crimes. It would also be a source of additional tax revenues
and police would be freed up for more serious crimes. The problem is that
people are used to thinking that marijuana smoking is “bad.” We have forgotten
that drinking used to be “bad”.
Legalizing marijuana will open the
door not only to an improved healthcare system, but also to an improved
economic and social structure. It also is fulfilling Timothy Leary’s transform
America movement. The only question is whether the American people will have
the courage to take the risk.
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