The recent media furore towards so called head shops typifies an irrational response to drug policy in Ireland. The media has hyped the story of head shops on the predicate that what they sell is immoral and dangerous per se. While they have made little or in some cases no attempt to present any of the counter arguments.
Any move that tends to limit what is sold in the head shops perpetuates the conventional ‘wisdom’ that the State’s function is to regulate the personal decisions made by those that wish to take chemicals to induce mind altering experiences. That is the unalterable fact of our drug policy. However, under examination one can see how hypocritical the policy is considering the ubiquity of alcohol.
I am stipulating that there may be negative health impact from the compounds sold by the head shops; there is no denying that and I for one am certainly not trying to. My principle position regards the premise that I am the master of myself therefore I claim the right of self-determination. If you accept the State’s authority to ban these goods solely on the stated aim of protecting you from yourself, then you declare yourself a slave.
It is my right to choose how I wish to conduct my life and if I wish to take chemicals that are bad for my health but cause a feeling that I like then what I have done is made a considered calculation of cost/benefit analysis and determined in my subjective view of the nature of what I want from my life that taking a drug is something I want to do then I should be free to do that. It is of little use for you to tell me that in your subjective outlook on life living the healthiest and long life is the best way to live a life. There is no objective definition of what is a good life and therefore it is morally presumptive and condescending to impose your view onto me.
Most people will look at a person’s decision to refuse medical treatment even though it may save their life and respect that decision, even if they disagree with it, as that person’s exercise of their bodily integrity. You may wish to live through the pain of cancer to live as long as possible and stay with friends and family for as long as you can however, another person may wish to refuse life preserving medication and die before pain taints his last few months of life. That person knows best what they want we do not dare tell them that we know what they want. The concept of human self-ownership allows us the freedom of conscience on what we regard as best for ourselves as no other person will ever have as much esteem for your personal enjoyment of life as you will.
We accept for what would seem historical reasons that alcohol and cigarettes are damaging for our health but are not banned but albeit they are massively regulated. But the hypocrisy towards the value of these health-damaging chemicals relative to controlled substances is a very discriminating one. Particularly perpetuated by a complete unwillingness to engage in any debate that tries to dismiss myths that surround these drugs, defends a person’s informed right to choose, or acknowledges that prohibition not only makes the negative elements of drugs worse but turns the neutral or positive elements into negative ones.
On that point we know what is sold in head shops is what it says it is and if it is not then we have a case for argument. Not knowing what drug one is taking is a particularly sinister element of the illegal drugs market. There are lots of statistics about different compounds being sold are ecstasy and cocaine among others informed knowledge of what one is taking will necessarily make it safer. But also if they are synthesised in proper and clean laboratories by trained experts rather than idiots with a homemade chemist’s station and these proper labs will use measured and stated dosage then it is undeniably a more positive environment than what does and will go on when these chemicals are controlled and it is left to criminals to make and sell.
The late comedian Bill Hicks makes the point that if there is a war on drugs then the people on drugs are winning the war. This funny observation is demonstrative of the reason why prohibition just will not work that is because there is always an appetite for drugs and those who want them resent the moral certitude that will not allow them to have it.
By way of end, I am completely aware that there are other arguments posed for the banning of these stores and/or their products but I do not have enough ink here to address them all.
