A serious blow to Canadian audiophiles, must read

Am I missing something here?! How is the legalization of a drug that, like most, has a detrimental effect upon ones senses, which would include the almighty auditory sense, have anything whatsoever to do with Audiophilia?! Well, I guess it must be a devastating blow to Dead-Head audiophiles up north. I also do enjoy red wine. I believe legal alchohol consumption causes FAR more damage to lives and property and to the souls of people and families, than either legal or illegal use of marijuana could ever accomplish. It is utterly absurd that indulgence in alchohol remains legal, while millions of dollars are simultaneously being spent keeping the demon weed off the streets. Were it made legal and commercial in this country it would have the potential to wipe out a tremendous portion of the national debt through government taxation and regulation. Instead we are spending millions prosecuting people, some who are as 'innocent' as any of us who indulge in alchohol because the drug they prefer is not favored by the political powers that be. No, I don't smoke at all, and actually do not enjoy the effects marijuana has on me. As far as the American public being able to handle the freedom and responsibilities that would come with such a bold political move, well shit, much of the American public can't even handle the responsibility of driving an automobile safely, yet it is pretty simple and inexpensive to obtain and maintain a licence to drive, and to purchase a car. Most certainly many don't handle the freedom of the access to buy and consume alchohol with any sense of responsibility or respect for others. The level of physical impairment and the dangers inherint in the use/abuse of alchohol has FAR more serious implications than the same kind of abuse of marijuana. I just don't get it.

As far as being an audiophile, my only comment would be that the use of any substance that impairs one's sense of hearing seems contradictory to many of the issues that drive us to purchase such esoteric gear to squeeze every ounce of musicality and performance out of our audiophile dollars. I'm not saying that a glass of wine cannot enhance ("alter" is probably a better word there) ones experience of music, but I'd say the kind of enhancement has little to do with ones discriminating many of the qualities and subtleties that are discussed ad nauseum on these forums. Alchohol does impair all of the senses, there is no question about it. Your hearing will not be as good under the infleuence of a couple of glasses of wine, as it is when sober.

Please, for god's sake, don't drink and listen! Oh, and pour me another glass of the Zinfandel please.

Marco

Swampwalker - Absolutely agreed; drugs/alchohol and driving/operating heavy machinery and automobiles should not be mixed. I didn't mean to imply otherwise, but I see where you may have infered that from what I wrote (thank you for bringing it to my attention). I do believe the physical impairments resulting from achohol abuse are greater than those from the abuse of marijuana. Neither should be considered as an acceptable precurser to driving and, yes, penalties should be made very stiff. Anyone who's been victamized by such an abuse, as I have, will likely agree there is simply no excuse for that kind of disregard for others. All too many have lost loved ones to such selfish and thoughtless behavior. I cannot imagine the impact and depth of such a loss. Yet it happens every day!

Marco