Do you think marijuana should be illegal?

Being a former severely misguided youth I’ve managed to sample various substances in various quantities with various individuals of various characters. While marijuana isn’t at all without its side effects it is much less detrimental to one’s overall state of being than, for instance, alcohol which happens to be legal. The only problem with substances is obviously abuse. If you take a look at people that abuse different substances very clear patterns emerge. Of all the people I know who can’t handle an addiction (be it physical or mental) those who smoke pot in a way some would deem abusively are at most just very lethargic.

All of the anecdotal stuff aside I think that the overriding issue is whether or not it is the job of the state or the individual to decide what people can and cannot do with themselves. It is a difficult topic because it could be argued that some substances cause people to become a danger to others. Conversely you could argue that the prohibition of those substances is what creates the environment in which those people become a danger.

Personally I don’t believe there shouldn’t be any prohibition. A well funded and developed education and dependency support system would be very effective (you know, kind of like alcoholism programs). Currently, people with addictions are essentially left to the wolves (justice system, criminal entities, what have you) and I don’t believe that is a civilized way to treat anyone.

No. It’s only illegal for BS reasons in the first place (look up Harry Anslinger).

No because I think people have more propensity toward illegal things (ex.: prohibition) than legal things. Having the choice would lower usage.

Sorry, I have a double negative in my previous reply. The first sentence of the third paragraph should read “Personally I don’t believe there should be any prohibition.”

paulc got high before he made his comment. A double negative, if he was drunk he would have called us “shitcocks” and thrown a chair.

And yeah.. That sums up my view on the should pot be legal debate.

@johnpowell: damn straight.
The fact that pot is illegal while booze (which is MUCH more dangerous/unhealthy/addictive) flows freely is absolutely asinine.
I say this not a smoker, but as guy that thinks stupid pot laws have crippled our prison system.

I don’t think that the fact that marijuana is illegal has stopped anyone from doing it. I think one of the biggest reasons that it isn’t legalized is because everyone who has fought against it would have to admit they were wrong about it all along. And all the hundreds of billions of dollars spent fighting it was a waste of time and money. Besides its an easy scapegoat for conservatives to blame things on.

Like the wise Marsellus Wallace (Pulp Fiction) said, “You might feel a slight sting, that’s just pride fucking with you.”

It makes no sense to make marijuana illegal and alcohol legal. Everyone knows the immense damage alcohol causes America.

Ron Paul found out what it means to have a large support base of marijuana smokers, They don’t have telephones so you can’t poll them and their too lethargic to actually get up and go cast their vote or caucus.

Anyone who thinks that making it legal will reduce the usage must be stoned. More people drink alcohol now then before it was legal. And look at all those problems we pay for due to alcohol usage not abuse usage. It’s increased health care costs and, more in lost productivity. Then there is tobacco what is the benefit of tobacco, what does it add to us?

My personal experience is limited to the few people, I knew, who were smoking it. In addition to being lethargic they were constantly complaining that no one would give them a break and they couldn’t make ends meet even those making as much as 30 dollars an hour. They either lived with their mom’s even in their forties or lived off someone else, or SSI disability or welfare. They were angry most of the time, and all the people I’ve met who were involved in domestic abuse it was a factor in the problem.

I’m sure there are highly productive individuals who smoke it I just don’t know any. And those I’m sure don’t care if it’s legal because their going to smoke it anyway.
I think making it legal would lead to more whining and self pity than the world has ever seen, or was thought possible.

@ironhiway, I’ve met people with exactly the symptoms you outline. These people don’t really do drugs or drink but they spend a lot of time on the internet or play world of warcraft for days on end. Might as well make those illegal too so that…

>>> CARRIER LOST

yes legalize. but wont happen.

BLAME 1883
Come to Canada…its getting less illegal here all the time (that plus legal gay marriage plus strippers who take it all off and drinking at 18/19 and sex at 14 lol…)

DRUG WAR RANT – excellent article and timeline
Many people assume that marijuana was made illegal through some kind of process involving scientific, medical, and government hearings; that it was to protect the citizens from what was determined to be a dangerous drug.

The actual story shows a much different picture. Those who voted on the legal fate of this plant never had the facts, but were dependent on information supplied by those who had a specific agenda to deceive lawmakers. You’ll see below that the very first federal vote to prohibit marijuana was based entirely on a documented lie on the floor of the Senate.
http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/stories/2003/12/22/whyIsMarijuanaIllegal.html

Marijuana Policy Project
Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. Incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1995, MPP works to minimize the harm associated with marijuana — both the consumption of marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit such use
http://www.mpp.org/

How and Why Drugs Became Illegal
Here, then, is the abbreviated story of how and why drugs became illegal in the United States. It is filled with more abuses, horrors, deceptions, and possible harm than any illegal drug has ever done. Prior to 1883, there were no federal laws against the manufacture, sale, use, or possession of drugs.
http://www.mcwilliams.com/books/books/aint/303a.htm#illegal

whether its legal or illegal people are still going to do it… Users couldn’t care less what everyone thinks… Legalizing it would mean being able to smoke it freely while making it illegal just means smoking it without getting caught… Simple as that

Hell No

Resolving this debate would answer all our country’s problems. Let’s imagine, shall we? Hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the war on drugs is now free to do other things, like fund UHC. Then, guess what? Like alcohol, or cigarettes, which are legal, these items now come with a very heavy tax added to them, which brings in boatloads of revenue, (in addition to the license fees one would need to grow and or sell such items). (If you think this is unfair, listen to one who buys cigarettes and ask them about the tax per pack or go into a liquor store and look at the price tag on the shelf, the tax is more than half of the cost!) Result: people in jail for pot (and other drugs if legalized) could be let out, resulting in less crowded prisons, resulting in less money being spent in an unnecessary way. My goodness, the deficit would be gone, we would have UHC with no additional tax burden on us, and everyone would be happy (REALLY happy in some cases). :p

What seems totally unfair to me is if a kid has to take a drug test for a job, and tests positive for Marijuana, but nothing else, they don’t get the job. It’s retarded.