As a reader with an open mind, I'd like to voice some of the concerns that I have with Daniel Tostado's article "'Reefer Madness' is insalubrious" (Feb. 20th). There seems to be a misconception between an individual that is irresponsible and an individual that is a pothead.
Let's clarify some issues: a father that can't quit smoking weed ?- irresponsible; a person that gets high - pothead; a friend that continually tries to rob a liquor store - irresponsible (and stupid); a person that smokes weed -pothead. This last one is a little confusing so try to stay with me: a person that develops 'amotivational syndrome' and loses interest in everyday activities because of a drug they are choosing to do - irresponsible; a person that goes to class, maintains healthy relationships, is active in sports, and chooses to smoke marijuana in their free time - a responsible pothead.
I know, it is difficult to comprehend such an oxymoronic statement -"A responsible pothead? Yeah right, get real." Careful though, we wouldn't want to form any prejudices. It would be wrong to categorize all potheads as drug addicts, criminals, and misfits. Potheads are people that like to smoke weed and get high. Sometimes they will even go to a movie, or out to eat. Maybe they will just sit around and watch T.V., or listen to music. Or (and I know this might be surprising) they might even do something productive.
You see, just because a person is a pothead doesn't mean that they are going to fail out of school, let down their family, lose all their friends, and repeatedly try to rob a liquor store (or any other business venue for that matter). It might even be possible that a person who smokes grass could do something as extraordinary as be admitted to Notre Dame! Here we go again - "Haha, yeah right. Yeah right! Like their half-baked ideas and amotivation would meet the standards of this University!"
False. Some responsible people can do bizarre things like smoke weed and not be academically, socially, and physically impaired. Dare I say it? Yes. You even go to school with some of these people - and they are just as smart, suave, and spiritual as you are. Just like no one ever hears about the functioning alcoholic, no one ever hears about the functioning pothead, but they do exist. So, moving forward, let's refrain from using examples of irresponsible individuals as a standard to measure an entire group of people - now that's a half-baked idea.
Michael Hubert
freshman
Dillon
Feb. 16
