TrippyHippy
free mind and open heart
Soon as kids discover that they've been lied to about weed since grade school, it makes them question the whole integrity of DARE, U.S drug policy, and the anti drug movement in general. There are legitimate dangers to drug abuse. But propagandizing cannabis, the way the US does, leads to a backlash when the kids find out the truth. That many people, practicing responsible use, can lead normal, fulfilling lives while using cannabis.
In fact, many drugs in general have desireable effects that are played down by current attempts at emphasizing only the dangers. For example, when kids are taught that you will "go crazy, get sick, and die" if you use psychedelic drugs...then find out that psychedelic drugs are often quite beneficial for your mental health and that people don't always "go crazy, get sick, and die" right after using these hallucinogens, they disbelieve all the dangers which creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. This distrust of U.S drug policy and the anti-drug movement leads kids to be more brazen about dosage, frequency of use, and even the specific drugs they choose to experiment with. I.e: "Man, this LSD didn't send me to a mental hospital. This is probably safe to use all the time. And I bet they're full of shit on cocaine and heroin too!" We need to have honest discussion with our kids about drugs. Much like sex ed, we badly need drug ed. Drug use should most certainly not be encouraged in children, however the fact of the matter is many kids are going to experiment with drugs regardless of how many adults are screaming at them not to. That's kids. It's best that they be completely educated about the risks, and how to practice safer use. Honest, impartial instruction about both the potential merits and dangers is what is needed. That responsible use of some can be fine, the signs to watch out for leading to addiction, and the harms of overuse or misuse would go a long way towards keeping people safe.
Scare tactics simply fail.
In fact, many drugs in general have desireable effects that are played down by current attempts at emphasizing only the dangers. For example, when kids are taught that you will "go crazy, get sick, and die" if you use psychedelic drugs...then find out that psychedelic drugs are often quite beneficial for your mental health and that people don't always "go crazy, get sick, and die" right after using these hallucinogens, they disbelieve all the dangers which creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. This distrust of U.S drug policy and the anti-drug movement leads kids to be more brazen about dosage, frequency of use, and even the specific drugs they choose to experiment with. I.e: "Man, this LSD didn't send me to a mental hospital. This is probably safe to use all the time. And I bet they're full of shit on cocaine and heroin too!" We need to have honest discussion with our kids about drugs. Much like sex ed, we badly need drug ed. Drug use should most certainly not be encouraged in children, however the fact of the matter is many kids are going to experiment with drugs regardless of how many adults are screaming at them not to. That's kids. It's best that they be completely educated about the risks, and how to practice safer use. Honest, impartial instruction about both the potential merits and dangers is what is needed. That responsible use of some can be fine, the signs to watch out for leading to addiction, and the harms of overuse or misuse would go a long way towards keeping people safe.
Scare tactics simply fail.
