COLUMN: Speaking up for the twelve percent
Last week the Logan City Council voted to invite more drug dealers into our city by stomping on our individual freedoms and turning 12 percent of USU students into criminals. I’m referring to the recent banning of Spice in Logan and my complete and utter disdain for how our community has responded has pushed me into writing this article.
All of you sit on your high horse and look down upon those who have recreationally used drugs for no other reason because you are “morally right.” I pride myself on being one of those 12 percent who has used Spice within the last year and I can tell you that the stories and examples used by those pushing to criminalize this drug are nothing short of outright lies.
Spice is a substance like that of Marijuana in that a synthetic THC compound is sprayed on a relatively harmless plant. But that’s what makes Spice one of the safest drug substitutes out there. It is to the brink of medical impossibility that anyone can overdose from Marijuana and Spice. THC is a completely safe compound. This is why for those trying to quit drugs altogether, Spice is a good stepping stone instead of going straight cold turkey.
Yes, there are cases of people committing stupid acts, but those people are already stupid. Stupid people do stupid things regardless of whether they are high on Spice or not. It’s just like the issue with firearms. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Why then do drugs get treated differently?
A Statesman columnist recently wrote that “If you give an inch, they take a mile. If we allow this sense- and judgment-inhibiting drug to be sold in stores, it is one step closer to legalizing marijuana and even harder drugs likes meth and cocaine…”
Good.
All drugs should be legalized, effective immediately, and the Logan City Council decision to force me to accept what they view as “moral” is nothing short of a political power grab at the expense of all of us. If your response is, “but banning Drugs/Spice is great because it’s good for society,” I want you to slap yourself right now for being the incompetent fool you are.
What the hell does “good for society” mean? Who gets to decide what is or is not “moral”? If I wanted to smoke Spice or do any other drugs for that matter, how in the world am I personally affecting you or your rights? The correct answer is that I’m not, so back off.
Those of you supporting the ban of Spice have only one leg of support to rely on. You demand that we submit to the idea that somehow you hold the moral superiority on this issue and thus your position is correct.
Ladies and gentlemen, we must learn to stand up and call out moral chauvinism when we see it. Each and every one of us has the responsibility to uphold the creed of “live and let live.” When we allow people like the Logan City Council to march into our dorms and dictate how we live our lives, we have already lost the battle. We must now reap the consequences.
Let’s logically work through this. When Spice was legal you could buy it from smoke shops that certified their brands as safe and uncontaminated. The workers there would check IDs to make sure that no one under 18 was purchasing Spice. By criminalizing Spice, however, smoke shops will no longer be able to ensure that those under 18 will not have access to this substance.
It’s only a matter of time before drug dealers begin moving into Logan to fill the void left by the smoke shops. These dealers will not only supply the demand for Spice, they will also look to expand their operations for harder drugs such as cocaine and meth. Seeing that Logan is a college town, you’ll never guess who their target audience is.
You and your “morals” did not prevent an epidemic drug crisis. You created a bigger one instead.
Overturn the ban on Spice and all drugs. Bring back the value of personal responsibility. Let people decide what they will and will not do with their bodies. The government has no right to put a gun to my head and tell me I am not being “moral.” The very basis of American freedom is freedom from government, and when the Logan City Council decides that we should be treated like children, we must resist. When we become passive, or worse, cheer for freedom-restricting laws, we are nothing short of the incompetent fools the Logan City Council take us all for.
Justin Hinh is a sophomore majoring in political science. He can be reached at justintsn10@gmail.com