Marihuana, A Signal of Misunderstanding
The Report of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse
Chapter V
marihuana and social policy
"The difficulty in life is the choice."
George Moore (1900)
A constant tension exists in our society between individual liberties and the need for
reasonable societal restraints. It is easy to go too far in either direction, and this
tendency is particularly evident where drugs are concerned.
We have guided our decision-making by the belief that the state is obliged to justify
restraints on individual behavior. Too often individual freedoms are submerged in the
passions of the moment, and when that happens, the public policy may be determined more by
rhetoric than by reason. Our effort has been to minimize the emotional and emphasize the
rational in this Report.
Drugs In a Free Society
A free society seeks to provide conditions in which each of its members may develop his
or her potentialities to the fullest extent. A premium is placed on individual choice in
seeking self-fulfillment. This priority depends upon the capacity of free citizens not to
abuse their freedom, and upon their willingness to act responsibly toward others and
toward the society as a whole. Responsible behavior, through individual choice, is both
the guarantor and the objective of a free society.
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