Pot. What would you have done?

jessiehl
Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:58:16 +0000

I agree with Vyse (and am refreshed to hear his/her sentiment in this forum, where it seems to be a very uncommon viewpoint).

There were plenty of potheads at my middle and high school, and a handful of kids who did other drugs as well. With rare exception, they caused no harm to anyone except possibly themselves. Some of them were outstanding students. Of course, if they were caught with pot they would have been screwed, as there was a zero tolerance policy about drugs.

The bullies, on the other hand, they caused harm to people. The [varsity sport] team kids who physically hazed their freshmen caused harm to people. The middle school boys who sexually harassed girls, and believe me this was VERY common - smacking them on the butt as they went by, groping them, twisting their arms behind their backs to stop them from moving while making lewd comments at them - they did harm, and the school’s “attempt” to stop them was to put restrictions on what the girls could wear (and if you think this was a problem exclusive to my school, read the '90s AAUW study on the topic).

Then take the less violent or damaging things that still have a pernicious effect on school environment, that go on at schools all over the country - cheaters, special privileges for varsity athletes of big-name sports, school buildings in poor physical shape that top 90 degrees in the late spring because the air conditioner is broken or non-existent, burned-out teachers…

I just don’t consider pot anywhere near the top of the list as far as problems facing schools and schoolkids. It barely registers as far as I’m concerned. And, unlike pretty much everything else I’ve mentioned in this comment, it’s nobody’s business except the person in question, their parents if they’re a minor, and possibly their doctor.

Okay, rant over. :)