Are Drugs Bad?

            
             The use, sale, manufacture, or possession of illegal drugs has some pretty stiff penalties in the United States. In many cases drug offenders get more punishment than rapists and murderers. Every law-abiding citizen in the United States with the gift of common sense would agree that the more heinous the crime the more the punishment should be. Not the other way around. Many people do not understand illegal drugs and their use. Human beings have always been scared and acted aggressively toward those things in which they do not understand. Politicians learn early to harness such fears and use them to spear head (a.k.a. the war on drugs), while catapulting themselves into an office of power and wealth. Such leaders to believe that drugs are bad have lured many. But are drugs bad?.
             Drugs have been present in every civilization since the beginning of time. From early on ancient civilizations found healing powers in the plants that grew around them. In medieval times alchemy produced magic solutions for almost anything. Many of these solutions contained drugs that would disorient any who drank them. American Indians have used peyote for centuries to enter the spirit world and receive enlightenment. The British fought a war over opium trade that was quite prosperous for many. Illicit drugs are a major part of today's world. Every aspect of the drug trade from manufacture to use has grown tremendously from years past and will continue to grow even more in the future. .
             There are many different types of people that choose to use drugs for many different reasons. The occasional drug user takes drugs as a form of recreation. This group of users represents the majority of illegal consumers. Occasional drug users are not dependant on taking drugs. Most of them are responsible citizens that will never cause any harm to anyone. This group uses responsibly and privately. This group will not stand up for their beliefs for fear of persecution and fear of being stereotyped.