On the Pot

By Keith Plocek Wed., Jan. 31 2007 at 2:43 PM

Categories: Cover Story

Reactions to this week's feature are probably going to run the gamut from "right on, bro" to "you should be beaten, hung, electrocuted and shot." Somewhere in between will be the classic argument that marijuana isn't so bad, but it's a gateway drug, see, and it has to be kept illegal so kids won't wind up addicted to crack and smack.

And yes, pretty much everyone who ends up strung out on the streets — stealing babies and leaving tainted needles inside payphones — has smoked pot at some point. No doubt. Then again, every junkie has also smoked cigarettes and drunk alcohol, not to mention eaten the occasional hamburger. So why aren't stogies, hooch and ground chuck considered gateway drugs? Easy, because they're legal.

And there's the burn. "The point is simply this," says Jerry Epstein, cofounder of the Drug Policy Forum of Texas. "Marijuana is used over twice as much as any other drug. So if you're a cartel, you gain financial stability through your marijuana sales. That's your steady supply."

And hey, kid, while you're over here buying weed, you want some coke? How about a little meth? It's good shit. You mean you've never tried horse? Oh, man, here's a free sample. Call me.

Making kids buy weed from drug dealers is a surefire way to expose them to the harder stuff. Or maybe we're just high. — Keith Plocek

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