Legalizing Diluted Drugs Deserves Consideration

By Denise Noe

Lawmakers in Mexico recently passed a bill that would permit people in that country to possess small amounts of some of the most common illegal drugs such as ecstasy, heroin, and cocaine, without criminal penalty. The bill will become law if President Vicente Fox signs it and it seems likely he will.

The Mexican legislation has occasioned much hand wringing by officials on this side of the border. They fear that Americans vacationing in Mexico will be more likely to use these drugs if they become legal in our southern neighbor, that Americans may travel to Mexico for these drugs, and that they will be more easily smuggled into this country.

This is a good time to review the entire concept of our “War on Drugs.” After all, America has been fighting this so-called war for over three decades and even with all the wealth and person power at our government’s disposal, the drugs seem to be winning.

Perhaps the problem is a flawed premise. Society does not really fight drugs but the use of drugs by individuals who want to take them. That so many people want to take them is the root of the dilemma.

This root may be embedded in human nature. Some authorities have speculated that there is a natural desire to change consciousness that is sought in “runner’s high,” meditation – and drugs. Of course it is also quite possible for sudden, extreme changes in consciousness to harm the person undergoing them or lead that person to harm others.

It is ironic that the two most dangerous drugs – tobacco and alcohol – are legal in America, a country that is officially making war on drug use. Unlike many drugs, tobacco can never be safely used. It can and does kill even when used in moderation.

Alcohol is taken by responsible people who enjoy the relaxing effect it has when taken in small quantities. It is also widely abused, resulting in many deaths and causing disabilities both in drinkers themselves and their victims through auto accidents and other alcohol-related mayhem.

Any mood or mind-altering drug can be abused and abuse is especially likely when a drug is taken in concentrated doses. While there are certainly winos and beer brains, these forms of alcohol are less likely to cause harm than hard liquors.

Similarly, crack is more dangerous than regular cocaine because it is so concentrated. Injecting or snorting cocaine is far more dangerous than chewing coca leaves, something practiced by the indigenous peoples of South America for thousands of years with few ill effects.

To deal reasonably with the problems caused by drugs, we may need to acknowledge the natural desire to experience changed consciousness and distinguish between drug use and drug abuse. We should experiment with the decriminalization of drugs in diluted, slow-acting forms. A cocaine chewing gum might act similarly to the coca leaves and become a pick-me-up in the same way a glass of wine currently works as a relaxant.