[MathGeek]

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery, instead be filled with the Spirit” - Ephesians 5:18

Whether one accepts the Bible as the Word of God or merely a compilation of human wisdom, one will notice the common theme that alcohol needs to be used in moderation. Jesus himself is shown turning water into wine, and the Apostle Paul recommends Timothy use a little wine because of frequent illnesses. Alcohol use in moderation could be wise and reasonable; alcohol use in excess (getting drunk) was forbidden, because it opened the door to greater evil.

The issue with recreational drugs is similar. Very few drugs are completely illegal, but rather they are highly regulated to minimize the potential for use in excess that would likely be detrimental to individuals, their families, and larger segments of society. One cannot paint accurately with a broad brush, because each drug is different and has different potential for legitimate uses, different risk factors for overuse, and differing propensities for the misuse by an individual to negatively impact those around him.

My view is that recreational and performance enhancing drugs (including medical drugs that have the potential for recreational and performance enhancing use) is that the degree of regulation should take into consideration the propensity for each drug to lead to greater evil and due consideration should be given to the different spheres of evil to which each drug presents an opening including: sexual immorality, unsafe driving, bad decision making, physical addiction, psychological addiction, criminal behaviors, health risks, the occult, inability to meet one's financial obligations.

I still recall when an eighth grade teacher recited the poem, “Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker” regarding the ability of each to yield the desired payoff. Cannabis in various forms can be quicker still, and I bet that in addition to the volumes of scientific literature associating cannabis use with high risk sexual behavior among teens, most readers also have some personal and anecdotal experience with the propensity for young men on the make plying their targets with cannabis and other recreational drugs with the main aim of sexual gratification. The ad campaign, “Get high, get stupid, get AIDS” may sound like a trite soundbite, but there is a lot of solid science and well considered wisdom behind the six word summary. There are some conflicting studies regarding whether legal outlets increase teen drug use, but one Colorado study found that 3/4of teen users attributed the source of their pot to medical marijuana outlets.

Both Biblical and secular military wisdom emphasize self-control. Both academic and athletic performance emphasize self-control gained through mastery of the discipl[SIZE=2]ine[/SIZE] rather than fraudulent short cuts through either performance enhancing drugs or other cheating. Most are disappointed when they learn that a sports hero (or one of their own children) has achieved success through cheating, and most support the testing and other regulatory efforts of academic, military, and athletic governing bodies to maintain the integrity of their activities and institutions.

Good citizens should be just as concerned with self-control as academic, military, and athletic institutions. Most readers should be enthusiastic supporters of the right to keep and bear arms, and would agree with the sentiment that, “Gun control is being able to hit your target.” Most like the joke that a good “one gun a month” law should require heads of households to buy at least one gun a month. Just as the military could not foresee Pearl Harbor coming on December 7, 1941, and the intelligence community could not foresee the attacks of September 11, 2001, the shepherd of a family cannot foresee the time when the wolf will be at the door.

I would hate to be hallucinating under the influence of marijuana or have my fine motor control impaired by some other recreational drug at the moment my family needs my complete and functioning faculties to fend off the wolf at the door. Personally, I don't even drink one or two drinks while boating, fishing, or playing the role of a single parent (traveling with my children or wife out of town.) There are just too many possible combinations of mechanical failures, meteorological challenges, unforeseen emergencies, risks brought about by wild animals or evil people for me to be impaired while caring for my children. And, without doubt, nearly every recreational drug represents some degree of impairment when dealing with unexpected emergencies.

I am no fan of the nanny state or the manner in which the war on drugs has motivated and “justified” constitutional infringements, asset forfeitures, and the growth of government powers. As a man of faith, however, I realize, that the governmental powers do not bear the sword for nothing, and that government restraint of evil is valid if exercised within Constitutional boundaries. In the Federalist Papers, our founding fathers pointed out that one benefit of the federal system was that different states would be at liberty to implement different laws governing their citizens. Bold adoption of new laws by one state could serve as an experiment whose consequences could be carefully weighed by other states when considering whether to follow suit.

By adopting libertarian ideals on drug use without adopting commensurate libertarian freedoms for insurers, employers, educational institutions, or even parents, California, Colorado, and Washington are headed for moral and educational disaster, and the eventual financial disaster that is sure to follow. Drug law and policy in a given state is more a question of wisdom than a fundamental matter of righteousness. I hope and pray that my beloved home state of Louisiana takes a good, long (decades long) look and gives careful consideration to the outcome of these states' policies before imitating them.

Do you see the US as headed toward many more decades of peace and prosperity that will insulate ill prepared heads of households and allow continued prosperity regardless of whether the general population displays self-control or debauchery? Or do you see a future where Louisiana will need to demonstrate a level of self-control that separates it from the folly of California and the Northeast? Marijuana laws have barely been enforced in New Orleans for decades, is this your desire for the rest of the state?

Since the characteristics and risks of each drug are multidimensional, I find it overly simplistic to characterize drugs as “hard” or “soft” or to simply say a given drug is “better” or “worse” than alcohol or tobacco. Nicotine is more addictive than cannabis, but cannabis is more likely to lead to bad decision making (especially bad sexual decisions) and loss of fine motor control. Long term alcohol use may present more medical risks than cannabis, but cannabis is much more challenging for inexperienced users to use in moderation (avoid getting “high” or “stoned” with likely hallucinations and risk of poor decision making). I sure hope providing cannabis to children without parental consent remains a felony in Louisiana and in the other states we'll need on our side when push comes to shove.