Jun 25, 2008
In the wake of repeated reports of alcohol-fueled cases of "air rage," the Denver-based Safer Alternatives For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) has a novel solution: Allow marijuana use in airport smoking lounges.
It may seem like a silly idea, but SAFER is making a serious point. Alcohol is a proven cause of reckless and violent behavior, while marijuana tends to have the precise opposite effect. If air travelers substituted marijuana for booze, it's entirely plausible that air rage incidents would decrease. As a review in the December 2003 issue of the journal Addictive Behaviors noted, "Alcohol is clearly the drug with the most evidence to support a direct intoxication–violence relationship," while those under the influence of marijuana generally become less aggressive.