It seems more and more students have turned to the legal alternative to getting high, which doesn’t contain Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the stuff in marijuana that produces the “Oh my God. I am so high, man” effect. I’ll remain vague, but a few people I know see K2 as a perfect substitute to what could land them in jail, piss off their probation officer or keep them from getting a job.

Wait, why is this legal again?

Probably the only thing keeping the less-than-Maui-wowie herb from being illegal is novelty. Lawmakers haven’t had the time to write some bill forcing their religious and moral values into our law system — yet.

As the son of a man plagued with horrible chronic pain for close to four years, I am a very strong advocate of legalizing marijuana. The alleviation of chronic pain is one of the biggest benefits of medical marijuana. Other applications for the drug include increased appetite (used for cancer patients) and reduction of muscle spasms. The drug also can help reduce the symptoms of AIDS, multiple sclerosis and even epilepsy. These discoveries only show a glimpse into the medical potential of marijuana.

Yet the very thing that might give my father relief (and gave us Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”) is considered taboo. Why? Because back in the day, the U.S. government wanted a way to nab “illegal” immigrants. At the time, immigrants happened to enjoy a rolled up bundle of weed, or a “joint,” every now and then, so lawmakers decided to make joints illegal in order to prevent people from migrating across the Earth; heaven forbid, of course.

Nobody really knows the long-term effects of K2. It’s sold as incense, a mix of herb and spices, sprayed with a chemical similar to THC. Before politicians start furiously writing to keep the fake ganja out of the hands of Americans, it should be researched while it still maintains its legality. Outlawing something simply because of its premise is ridiculous. Let’s push our morals aside, examine the situation and make the best decision possible. Come on, I know everyone is capable.

If K2 is legal, marijuana really is getting the short end of the stick. K2 produces many effects similar to marijuana use but, as far as I know or can find, is limited on medical benefits. The most reasonable argument against marijuana is that it’s a “gateway drug.” What makes it a gateway drug? The high. Once someone has broken the moral barrier of ingesting mind-altering substances, they’re apparently ready to try every drug out there. Now that K2 offers the same result post-smoke and might also be considered a gateway drug, I see no reason to keep marijuana illegal.

In my eyes, K2 is an example. It shows the harmlessness of the high. I’ve never seen someone get into a fight or scream obscenities on Grand River Avenue while high, but I’ve sure as hell seen them do it while drunk. Since K2 has been released onto the market, there has been no influx of crime and no more crazy people on the streets than usual. I’ve also never known someone that smokes weed and doesn’t drink. More often, I see someone begin drinking before smoking. So which is the real gateway drug?

America’s youth has been getting legally high without many people even noticing. Your children, brothers, sisters and friends might have been tokin’ up, gettin’ high, eating three bags of Doritos in one evening, and you never knew. And the government didn’t care. Well, they might have, but they can’t do anything about it.

We could just do what we have always done. We could make K2 illegal and restrict the possibilities of human potential. We could further push ourselves away from the development of medical breakthroughs. However, it’s hard for me to imagine a country that deprives people of a substance that can bring happiness and alleviation from suffering simply because some people are morally against it. We all need to either get on the right track or — even better — build an entirely new track.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Parker Wilson is a State News intern. Reach him at wilso881@msu.edu.