Why is marijuana illegal?

[triggrhappy94]

also it doesn't make you hallucinate

It can, if you get really good stuff.

I think the stuff you're buying is laced. I think you'd have to get REALLY high to start hallucinating. Or use other in addition.

I took ambian, smoked, then played Nazi zombies one time. That was crazy as hell! It was like the map turned into an MC Esher painting with zombies, and I was inside the game. I eventually completely forgot what game we were playing and thought I was playing Gears of War and Call of Duty 2. I downed like 3 cans of Dr Pepper in a couple minutes and didnt even realize when the cans were empty.

 

[CrystalShadow]

its illegal yet cigarettes and alcohol kill alot more than marijuana does.

Marijuana is illegal because cotton manufactures back in the 1800s (or was it early 1900s?) wanted to get rid of the hemp industry so they'd have a monopoly on rope.

Seriously, that is the reason why Marijuana was made illegal. It had nothing to do with it being a drug - it had everything to do with hemp vs cotton.

Because it was a knee jerk reaction in the US during the prohibition of alcohol era. It was made illegal around the same time. However it was much less popular than alcohol so it was never relegalized.

Yes, I think you're right - early 1900s. But it ALSO had a lot to do with the cotton industry.

That makes sense overall, but there's still a few flaws with that argument.

for instance:
http://www.hempprotein.co.uk/is-hemp-legal.aspx

That's the UK, but the key point is that growing hemp is legal, while growing marijuana is not.

Even though the plants are quite similar looking, that still shows that banning marijuana as such wouldn't strictly speaking have much impact unless you ban hemp as well.

(But a ban on hemp makes no sense from a drug abuse perspective, because hemp varieties contain next to no THC - You can eat foods derived from Hemp and nobody particularly cares.)

 

[Kopikatsu]

The fact that it directly kills brain cells is the main reason. And legalizing it would increase the risk of people driving while hallucinating. While the effects may not be perceived as being "as bad" as cigarettes or alcohol, it still is bad for you, and we're probably better off without it.

Then why not ban alcohol and cigarettes, too? They're far more dangerous to the people that live around the smoker/drinker (i.e. drunk driving, physical abuse, secondhand smoke, etc.); the worse marijuana ever does to adults is make them lazy and unmotivated. The worst it could do to a child (secondhand) is perhaps impede brain development...but then I would question that parent's abilities to even be responsible for another human life. Marijuana is a drug that really only affects the consumer; laws against habits that don't hurt anyone outside of the "habit-doer" are stupid and unnecessary.

And then there's the lobbyists who keep spreading the bad rep about weed; I can't stand corporate lobbyism in general. I think it undermines a politician's integrity and common sense; it forces them down roads of moral extremism. This practice is easy to abuse by the greedy, and I feel it's poisoning Humanity's advancement in numerous scientific fields. Lobbyism should be banned, and any violators should be charged with treason (it isn't that extreme a punishment, when you consider the ethics).

Politicians should be forced to stick to a tight campaign budget, and not waste it on stupid-ass smear campaigns and propaganda on what should be moot topics.

I'm not saying that cigarettes and are good, but the American economy would completely be shot to hell if they banned cigarettes and alcohol. (Which is sad. I think we'd be better off without it) And yes while marijuana only affects the user most of the time, someone hallucinating from the effects of marijuana is driving, then that is a potentially dangerous situation. I'm all for freedom of choice, but I guess what I'm not understanding is why people want it so bad. I understand that hemp is useful and economical, but I just don't understand why people want to smoke it. It seems like I'd be sacrificing a lot of my self control while under it's effects for a hallucination I probably won't even remember. I'd like to understand both sides of this argument, so could you please explain to me why people want it so bad.

It seems a few people are taking my first sentence about alcohol and cigarettes seriously. I'm not suggesting that we do ban those, too; I was just pointing out the double standard.

By the way, hallucinations from weed are rare, and really only happen if you overdose; moderation is the key. If you don't have a high enough tolerance for even small doses, then those people should be smart enough to stay the hell away from it. Naysayers keep clinging to rare side effects like these and blow them out of proportion.

Economically, it makes sense to legalize marijuana. Products can be held to high government standards (regarding health risks). Plus, it's a great new source of revenue to help fill that huge-ass gap in our deficit, and I doubt it would stop smokers and drinkers from, well, smoking and drinking. Even if it does, breweries and the tobacco company either need to adapt or go bankrupt. It's their fucking problem, and frankly it's hypocritical to preach less government regulation on big businesses, but it's okay for big businesses to run Big Brother to their agenda (you didn't say that, nklshaz; it's just a common problem). What about Blockbuster and Borders? They lost to online streaming and PDF books, and the aforementioned lobbyist groups are afraid of that happening to them. Well, I say: Tough shit!!

What is it with people and forgetting Prohibition? It was a major thing. A MAJOR THING.

Anyway, it makes zero economical sense to sell marijuana. People will either continue going to dealers (Because it won't be taxed, thus cheaper than the marijuana sold in stores), or just grow their own damn marijuana because it won't be illegal anymore. (It's not the same as people growing produce in a little garden, because produce isn't recreational anything.) Not only that, but growing marijuana would just take away farm land that would better be used for growing produce or raising cattle. Which is much more important than growing marijuana.

Not to mention, Marijuana would probably be cheaper than either produce, meat, or eggs...so they'd be replacing one good revenue source with a shitty one. Besides, even if they make a few hundred million dollars in Marijuana sales...the debt is over 14 trillion. IT WILL DO NOTHING.

 

[Uszi]

Care to eliberate a bit? Im kind of seeing what you're saying, though. People need to argue to have it made so stoners arent criminalized, thrown in jail, etc. That's what you're getting at right?
Well I think it should be made legal all together, not just acceptable. Regulate it the same as alcohol and tabaco, and we'll all be cool.
Also here in California anything under an ounce (which is a lot) is the same punishment as a like a traffic ticket.

Exactly.

Legalization is a more controversial issue than decriminalization. My guess is that we will see decriminalization in our lifetime.

Legalization would be a different thing all together though. You'll need a big culture shift to get the people who are still stuck in the days of reefer madness to accept trucks and trains and planes transporting marijuana from huge farms to processing plants, to be packaged and sold at convenience stores.

I don't think decriminalizing marijuana would change the rate of use very much. Legalizing it, however, would. And, like it or not, a lot of people in the country are apposed to increased usage of marijuana, on whatever grounds.

There are a couple of things that I think should be addressed before you have legalized marijuana---like people who drive under the influence. With alcohol, you can blow a breathalyzer, but there really isn't a way for an officer to decide on the spot if you might be driving under the influence of THC. Little things like that are small additional road blocks.

So I'm personally pro-decriminalization.
But pretty meh when it comes to legalization, leaning on the side of keeping it illegal.

 

[Mister Eff]

Corperations bloo bloo bloo. Also, it's a drug that kills brain cells and makes you act like a dumbass, often in dangerous ways. I have no problem with people doing weed. I'm not a fan myself, but I'm not gonna shout at people who do it. It's illegal because a) it's dangerous and b) it's not an integral part of the world's economy and never has been, unlike alcohol and cigarettes. Without those two about, we'd be in a worse economic climate than we are now. The whole "marijuana is less lethal than drink driving etc" is stupid as hell. Why? MARIJUANA IS ILLEGAL. IT IS HARDER TO GET THAN BOOZE. If as many people smoked weed as people who drink, it'd be just as bad. It's the truth. Go out and drink-drive. Not gonna end well. Go out and drive while high as a kite. Not gonna end well. Different side-effects, same result.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Because marijuana hasn't been a big a part of culture of smoking and drinking were. Drinking has been a part of every culture throughout time practically ever since man learned how to grow corn. It's hard to try and make something that ingrained illegal. That's why prohibition failed, because people need there boos. Smoking was a big part of culture (in the US) up until some decades ago when how bad it is for you started getting out and the government really cracked down on it but even still the government isn't willing to just make it illegal and is instead slowly suffocating it to death (oh the irony). It has been present in many societies and had various cultural capital for quiet a long time though.

Marijuana has had a less ingrained place in society. It's been present of course and used by various groups but I don't even recall it being historically used in the same ubiquitous way as alcohol and tabaco. (my spellcheck doesn't register tabaco as a real word, the smoking lobby really is losing power). I has been a more marginalized or less publicly used substance and thus was easier to outright ban by the sections of society that are opposed to drinking and smoking and using drugs etc.

Personally, I don't think people should use it but not many people care what I think.

there has bin evidence of pot being used before written history, roman and Greek world considered it a herbal medication, the Celtic and German world considered it a holy plant / herbal medication. did it have the recreational appeal of wine, no were close.

oh and tabaco, in case you forgot that was only in the Americas we of European decent have only recently found that one(relatively speaking). but it sure was allot more addictive.

Yeah there has been people smoking pot for a long time, hell didn't native Americas use all kind of substances that we've since banned, but it still doesn't have the cultural value of drinking or smoking tabaco. You named two very old societies, and ones that no longer exist (well okay Celtics and Germans exist but they changed a bit over the years). Opinions and uses change over time. It's about a long tradition of use and the cultural value placed on the subject. For example, slavery was perfectly okay for a long time but then public opinions shifted and it was abolished. Drinking and smoking used to have lots of cultural value but have since declined and as a result have been under attack. Pot has never attained as much cultural capital and thus has never seen as strong resistance to keep it alive. People used to treat it differently but what happened a thousand years ago has little relevance in the cultural atmosphere of today. The past can influence use today but doesn't always. Maybe I should have been more clear.
As for tabaco, pssst, see that line where I said "in the US" yeah I was talking about the US. Even as such I know smoking has been around in Europe for at least a century. That's more then enough time to gain the kind of cultural capital needed to make it resilient to laws and a subject of protest. I'm not going to say anything about Europe's modern climate though since I have never been there and am not familiar with how things are going.

 

[triggrhappy94]

Snip
There are a couple of things that I think should be addressed before you have legalized marijuana---like people who drive under the influence. With alcohol, you can blow a breathalyzer, but there really isn't a way for an officer to decide on the spot if you might be driving under the influence of THC. Little things like that are small additional road blocks.
Snip

But what are the differences. If its decriminalized, would that mean its not illegal or is it just not enforced or what.
Also, DUI does mean Driving Under the Influence and that infulence is not limited to alcohol. You can be charged with DUI if you've taken too many of anything. And, DUI's are mostly up to the cop's disgression. Most cop will admitt that they've pulled over people who were blowing under .05, so a feild subriety test should be enough to really determine how high the person is.

 

[Trinketeer]

Funny that this should be my first post~
Oh well, I wanted to sign up anyways.

Anyway, 'pot vs. alcohol/tobacco' is like 'slitting your wrists vs. shooting yourself in the crotch'. Actually, that's quite an appropriate analogy. A lot of people feel good when they slit their wrists. And I'm sure some people get off on bullet holes through their member.

Yep, that's a very fine analogy you got there.
So, do you think we should arrest and punish those who slit their wrists and shoot themselves in the crotch?

If they want to do that to themselves, they should be allowed to. Of course, all of the things (wrist slitting, shooting yourself anywhere, drinking, smoking) should be discouraged. But down right illegalized and punishable? That's insane.

EDIT: And going a little bit more in depth, the way I see it, all of them should be illegal. But we tried that with prohibition, and we all know how that turned out. For the people who say that the government shouldn't regulate what people do with their bodies, that's bullshit. The government has a responsibility to protect its citizens. What you all suggest is basically a small foundation for anarchy.

I think that's a terrifying outlook on society.
We're not the government's people, the government is the people's government.
We've put them there to make the country a better place, and yes that includes protecting the citizens. But protecting the citizens from themselves, and punishing the people for not letting the government to protect them, is just not right.

The government should ideally be there to let us know about harmful things so that we can avoid them, protect us from dangers by attempting to keep malevolent people away from the puplic and by trying to rehabilitate those people.

They should be giving all the information they can, and they should strike down on people who are intentionally harming others. But going after people who harm themselves?

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink."

EDIT2: Holy fuck, that article [http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-pro-marijuana-arguments-that-arent-helping/] has provided me many lulz.

Those are actually insightful to me, as some of those are some arguments that I might have used. Initiate idea refining process!

#5: Not sure about this one, it's not one I would personally use. What I do think however is that if drugs were sold by government controlled, or at least regulated in some way, we'd prevent the problems that comes with the stuff being sold on the street. And it could then be taxed. Whatever miniscule amount the taxing would bring it, it'd be better than nothing.
Right now, the way I understand it, we're using a fuckton of money on just keeping pot-related criminals locked up.

It is talking about a ton of stuff I know nothing about, though. I do see the problem, letting people sell it in stores with extra taxes would not prevent growers from selling it for a lower price. But it's better than having only illegal growers who may or may not mix it with other stuff and who may or may not also want to sell other stuff? (like I know anything about that...)

#4: I think that's a pretty shitty argument either way.

#3: Also an argument I consider a shit one.
The way to fight uneducated, biased information and lies is not to fight fire with fire...

#2: "But here's the thing about that entire debate: It doesn't fucking matter."
They're all bad for you, yes. Should that mean we should illegalize it? Nope.
If you're subjecting other people to THC, alcohol or nicotine either by second hand smoke, injecting it into their eyeballs or because of some shit you decide to do under the influence, then you should be held accountable for that.
But doing anything you damn well please to yourself should fall under the watered down term that people like to throw around, semmingly without really meaning it; Freedom.

#1: The way I've heard it, THC is not physically addictive, meaning that you won't be physically dependant on it, you won't get ill because you're not getting your drug. But it is psychologically addictive, meaning that you might find it so enjoyable that you want to do it again and again. I don't know for sure.

Either way, addiction is bad, be it physical or psychological, and therefore we should be there to help, guide and give out information freely to prevent addictions and to help those who already has them.

 

[tzimize]

Just because something isn't as BAD for you as other things (Marijuana vs Alcohol) doesn't mean that everything 'better' than that one bad thing (Alcohol) should be made legal.

Besides, there isn't any GOOD reason for it to be legalized. Crime goes down? Well fuck, just make murder legal and crime practically vanishes.

Gains revenue? Not enough to make a difference, and you'll just end up in the hospital at some point with a horrible, extremely expensive condition to treat.

Has medical purposes? Medical marijuana is already legal. ARGUMENT INVALID.

Think you might have missed a point. If you legalize crime doesnt go down because its not illegal anymore, crime goes down because a lot less people would go to dealers instead of the store. If you dont have to buy it illegally why would you? Supply and demand. Demand would drop like a rock and the supply would not be needed anymore. So the crime around it goes away. At least a lot of it.

The main reason MJ is a gateway drug is because people get caught in a bad environment, a criminal one. Not because every pot-head ever suddenly get a craving for heroin. Legalize = less drug addicts and less crime.

None of that made sense.

Let's say there are 45,000 crimes a year in a certain area, and drug use accounts for 12,000 of those crimes. If you make drug use legal, then they only have 33,000 crimes a year. Crime went down because it's no longer a crime.

And people keep saying that 'The government could tax it'. That just means that everyone would either still go to dealers (Because it's cheaper), or grow their own (Because it's legal and cheaper still.)

Marijuana is a gateway drug because people enjoy the high they get, but they want an even higher 'high' and faster. So they turn to harder drugs to get it. Pro-Marijuana really has no stance besides 'I WANNA SMOKE POT BECAUSE IT'S COOL'.

I'll address your last sentence first: Stupid. Of course they have another agenda, just like people who drink does. Do you think people who like to drink (for example a glass of red wine on a saturdag afternoon) has no other agenda than I WANNA BE A FILTHY DRUNK! You really cant imagine it possible that people want to smoke a joint a saturday afternoon without ending up on the sidewalk the next week? I think you need to open your eyes and brain a bit.

By your logic we all would be heavy duty drug addicts. Smoking is a high, at first at least, drinking is a high, hell JOGGING is a high...well...a high...I guess even joggers will end up shooting heroin in no time. Right? Really?

I'd like to know if you've ever smoked pot. If not, then you should think again because you really dont have a clue what you are talking about. If you have, you should also think again because if you would by your own logic be a heavy duty drug addict and be on the streets instead of posting on the escapist.

I've smoked pot. Several times. Last time was...7-8 years ago. I drink very seldom because I hate being sick. I dont smoke, but I've been offered cocaine and other drugs, but I said no because I didnt want to. I didnt look for a bigger high. I have no desire to be friends with a bunch of heavy duty drug addicts, and I have no desire to be a criminal. I WOULD like the option to be able to smoke a joint a saturday night and relax in my own couch, instead of going out, drink and be stabbed down by some idiot.

Crime would drop because there will be less use for illegal drugs. When anything is state-controlled the crime around it will drop. Not just because it is not illegal to sell anymore, but because ALL the illegal business tied to it will be unnecessary. Will it disappear 100%? No. But a lot of it would be gone. Some would still buy illegal, but that happens with alcohol too. Most people though would prefer quality-controlled merchandise so they know what they smoke.

Am I saying that I want it to be legal to sit in school or at work and be high? No. Of course not. But I dont want people to be drunk in school or at work either. I just want to be able to make a batch of hash brownies or smoke a joint without the risk of jail "just because".

 

[ediblemitten]

There is no reason for it be banned, marijuana plants aren't frikkin miniguns. People can make their own damn decisions, and I feel that if someone is of a certain age and can understand the risks involved, they should be able to smoke it, or grow it. Nothing pisses me off more that smug assholes calling for more government intervention into the private affairs of citizens and calling for more regulation.

Now, cocaine, heroin, meth and other such drugs are a completely different can of worms...

 

[saruman31]

Because there is no industry for marijuana making that can lobby to hell and back.
In case you are wondering if it`s because of the side effects the answer is NO. Nobody cares about you or your health in this day and age.

 

[GamerPhate]

its illegal yet cigarettes and alcohol kill alot more than marijuana does.

Especially since it's non lethal, as in there's no way to overdoes on pot. And you can overdose on cigarettes and beer for sure.

As to why it is illegal, from my understanding from research I did in college for a paper I wrote, and got an A+ on the subject there are a few reasons. I don't have the paper anywhere I can locate at the moment, so forgive me I am quoting off old memory, and I am sure someone will correct me if I misquote something or what not. But evidently, back in the good old days when it was legal, things were much different but not too different it seems. In southern Texas and other border towns with Mexico, the locals were not to keen on the idea of all the Mexicans that were wandering over the borders into America. It wasn't illegal for a Mexican to come over the border, but they frequently brought marijuana with them when they would cross over. So they started to press for laws to make it illegal to give them a reason to arrest them when they would cross.

But this isn't the only reason. Another stems from I think it was Dupont and a guy named Hurst that owned vast lumber tracts all across the land. The problem for them was that hemp could also be used to make paper and other various things. Hemp has the ability to be harvested every 3 to 4 months. Where a tree takes about 10 years to get to a good chopping maturity. The cotton industry was threatened as well as hemp last much longer than cotton when made into fabric. Evidently these two lobbied to get legislation to make it illegal. And once the ball was rolling with all the money behind the legislation and you had support from Americans that weren't pleased with the border traffic. So ultimately it passed. And when it did pass, we went around the world and pretty much forced all the other countries to do the same thing. Although there was always been those few bastions of freedom countries that have some legislation to allow for its use.

But long story short, it was made illegal due to racism and greed. <-- Cliff Notes for the Lazy or too high to read

 

[GamerPhate]

double post .. Sorry first didn't show up .

 

[Dominic Burchnall]

As far as I can see, marijuana SHOULD be legalised. The reasons are;

1. Public safety. Whilst this stuff is being grown by the criminal gangs, they're doing all sorts of stuff to add wieght and get more money back from it. One inspection in the UK found the growers had been sprinkling ground glass over the developing buds to increase the wieght.
2. Government control. If actual government backed research is done into the different strains of marijuana, rather than just the potential side effects from excessive overuse, then strains could be developed to minimalise the risks to smokers, new pharmeceuticals could be made from closer scrutiny of the active chemicals and refined into appropriate doses which is taboo under the current laws, the government could start taking a tax cut of the profits from the production of legal weed.
3. Criminal control. Despite various stickers and posters I've seen around my university of cannabis being a "victimless crime", the fact remains that almost all weed growers are linked to part of a greater criminal enterprise. Police raids have found several illegal immigrants who have been forced to work in unacceptable conditions, as live-in keepers for marijuana crops. If the government were to take control of marijuana manufacture in this country (I'm English by the way), they would eliminate the human rights abuses and drive out the organised crime elements away, as well as freeing up hundreds of police man-hours and funding.

If anyone wants to argue any points, add anything I've missed, please feel free.

 

[Navvan]

Snip

It is physically addictive, at least from observing my brother who quit smoking for 2 weeks earlier this summer. What I mean by this is he developed headaches, lost his appetite to the point that he actually could not eat even though he knew he should, and had bouts of nausea.

The only solid pro-weed argument is the same as to use any other drug. Freedom, and to cut revenue from criminal organizations. That is not to say it shouldn't be regulated whether it is pot or heroin or there shouldn't be designated areas to perform them (heavy drugs like heroin/acid/ect).

However absolute freedom is a lie. That truth comes with the territory of being in a society, and that is why we're in the situation we are. In an ideal world (Freedom for all so long as it doesn't harm/impede freedom for others and such) drugs should be legalized (all of them) and drug clinics established. Anti-drug education would be re-modeled to actually accurately describe drugs and their consequences. We don't live in an ideal world; get use to it or actually work to change it. "Work" amounts to fund raising your cause, lobbying government and spreading solid 100% unbiased factual information; not half-ass protests and attempts where people will clearly only think "They wants the drugs".

This is coming from someone who has never intentionally broken a law in there life. That includes both underage drinking and drug use. Unintentional law breaking was never caught and was traffic related.

The thing that really pisses me off is the biased information they teach in anti-drug programs. Not because I don't believe in the cause (to reduce drug use) but because I think it does a level of harm, and I am against any biased information.

 

[Blatherscythe]

The government can't tax or control it, otherwise it would be legal.

 

[p3t3r]

OT: Now that I've kinda gotten those points out of the way, believe it or not, I am actually a supporter of weed. Hell, I'm about to buy some tomorrow (legally of course, cough cough).I just like to point out the flaws in some of these peoples arguments so that they stay away from them and search for more logical ones.

Like I said above, I have a dad who is probably going to one of the guys put in charge of legalizing it in the US, and legalization has made some headway these past few years. It's going to happen. Let's just try to keep some liberals in office.

sorry but i am a but sceptical of some person on the interet saying his dad is knows some people and it is gonna happen. not that i don't want to believe you or anything i would very much like it to be legal. i have tried both pot and alcohol and would say i enjoy pot alot more, and would much rather have it be legal.

as far as i can tell the only reason it is illegal is because some political shit went down in the 30's and it takes a long time to change laws like that

 

[nklshaz]

The fact that it directly kills brain cells is the main reason. And legalizing it would increase the risk of people driving while hallucinating. While the effects may not be perceived as being "as bad" as cigarettes or alcohol, it still is bad for you, and we're probably better off without it.

Then why not ban alcohol and cigarettes, too? They're far more dangerous to the people that live around the smoker/drinker (i.e. drunk driving, physical abuse, secondhand smoke, etc.); the worse marijuana ever does to adults is make them lazy and unmotivated. The worst it could do to a child (secondhand) is perhaps impede brain development...but then I would question that parent's abilities to even be responsible for another human life. Marijuana is a drug that really only affects the consumer; laws against habits that don't hurt anyone outside of the "habit-doer" are stupid and unnecessary.

And then there's the lobbyists who keep spreading the bad rep about weed; I can't stand corporate lobbyism in general. I think it undermines a politician's integrity and common sense; it forces them down roads of moral extremism. This practice is easy to abuse by the greedy, and I feel it's poisoning Humanity's advancement in numerous scientific fields. Lobbyism should be banned, and any violators should be charged with treason (it isn't that extreme a punishment, when you consider the ethics).

Politicians should be forced to stick to a tight campaign budget, and not waste it on stupid-ass smear campaigns and propaganda on what should be moot topics.

I'm not saying that cigarettes and are good, but the American economy would completely be shot to hell if they banned cigarettes and alcohol. (Which is sad. I think we'd be better off without it) And yes while marijuana only affects the user most of the time, someone hallucinating from the effects of marijuana is driving, then that is a potentially dangerous situation. I'm all for freedom of choice, but I guess what I'm not understanding is why people want it so bad. I understand that hemp is useful and economical, but I just don't understand why people want to smoke it. It seems like I'd be sacrificing a lot of my self control while under it's effects for a hallucination I probably won't even remember. I'd like to understand both sides of this argument, so could you please explain to me why people want it so bad.

It seems a few people are taking my first sentence about alcohol and cigarettes seriously. I'm not suggesting that we do ban those, too; I was just pointing out the double standard.

By the way, hallucinations from weed are rare, and really only happen if you overdose; moderation is the key. If you don't have a high enough tolerance for even small doses, then those people should be smart enough to stay the hell away from it. Naysayers keep clinging to rare side effects like these and blow them out of proportion.

Economically, it makes sense to legalize marijuana. Products can be held to high government standards (regarding health risks). Plus, it's a great new source of revenue to help fill that huge-ass gap in our deficit, and I doubt it would stop smokers and drinkers from, well, smoking and drinking. Even if it does, breweries and the tobacco company either need to adapt or go bankrupt. It's their fucking problem, and frankly it's hypocritical to preach less government regulation on big businesses, but it's okay for big businesses to run Big Brother to their agenda (you didn't say that, nklshaz; it's just a common problem). What about Blockbuster and Borders? They lost to online streaming and PDF books, and the aforementioned lobbyist groups are afraid of that happening to them. Well, I say: Tough shit!!

Good points. I think people have been taking me too seriously too. I honestly don't feel too strongly either way on the subject. I'd rather it didn't become legal, but I'm not committed to stopping it. It really won't affect me too much either way, since I don't plan on using it. (I'm really paranoid about losing self control. I'm afraid I'd do something stupid) A big reason that I don't plan on using it is that the studies just seem so inconclusive. Guess it just makes me a little paranoid about using it. Like I said, I don't feel too strongly either way, so good luck with your cause. Hopefully these differences haven't brought about any hard feelings.

 

[Zing]

The fact that it directly kills brain cells is the main reason. And legalizing it would increase the risk of people driving while hallucinating. While the effects may not be perceived as being "as bad" as cigarettes or alcohol, it still is bad for you, and we're probably better off without it.

Hahahah, Oh wow. How misinformed can people be??

You don't hallucinate from marijuana.(you still shouldn't drive high, but people do it and they get booked same as drink driving)
It doesn't kill brain cells.
Marijuana has beneficial aspects, such as pain relief.

 

[chach_face]

B/C there isn't a system in place to regulate and tax the stuff.
Essentially, the gov would have a though time getting their cut.
And I'm the junkie