blog #3 the issue

The abuse of narcotics is an issue that that is evident throughout the novel, The Antagonist by Lynn Coady.  Gordon and his college buddies spend a good portion of their time smoking marijuana and drinking excessively, “It is 4:17 on a Thursday afternoon and they are all, of course, stoned brainless.”(159) I researched the harmful effects that marijuana can have on users and I discovered that there are many down sides to using such a drug. According to the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, “the immediate effects of taking marijuana include rapid heartbeat, disorientation, lack of physical coordination, often followed by depression or sleepiness. Some users suffer panic attacks or anxiety.”(Harmful Effects on the Brain) This information makes me question why the characters in the story would willingly take drugs. Assuming that they are fairly intelligent individuals on the basis that they have made it to a postsecondary institution, one would think that they would realize that drugs are full of harmful effects. In the book not only do the characters do drugs, but one of the main characters, Wade also sells drugs as a way to pay for his tuition, “a great many of his friends — and mere acquaintances even — had come to rely on him for hash and other illicit sundries.”(164) Wade was the only one of Gordon’s friends that did not have a scholarship to help pay for his tuition and therefore needed a job.  He had tried to work as a bartender but soon realized that he could not maintain his academic standing and work three nights a week at Goldfingers. He also soon realized that “another downside of the job was that most of his hard-won tips were going into the baggies,” (162) of marijuana that he was buying from the doorman at the bar. The result was that he wasn’t taking home much money away and therefore turned to dealing as a much easier way to make quick money. At no time in the book does he consider the consequences for possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking. His only consideration was that it was a quick way to pay his tuition and maintain access for his own personal use.  When in fact what he was doing is a criminal offence and “trafficking in or possession for the purpose of trafficking marijuana or hashish is an indictable offence with a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment for a small amount of cannabis. There may also be a minimum punishment of imprisonment for one to two years if certain aggravating factors apply.”(What Is Drug Trafficking Under Canadian Law?) A punishment such as this would deter me from ever considering selling illegal drugs, whatever the reason, as it would put my future in jeopardy. After gaining some insight into the harmful effects of marijuana and punishments associated with selling it, I as a reader really question the characters in the book and why they would regularly use something that cannot only cause serious health concerns but also result in jail time if convicted of trafficking.

"Does Marijuana Kill Brain Cells? Harmful Effects on the Brain - Drug-Free World." Does Marijuana Kill Brain Cells? Harmful Effects on the Brain - Drug-Free World. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.

"What Is Drug Trafficking Under Canadian Law?" Donna V Pledge Toronto Criminal Lawyer What Is Drug Trafficking Under Canadian Law Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.