On the Legalization of Marijuana

[thequeen]

I'm curious to see opinions (mainly the people that are against legalizing it....what compelling arguments could you make? )

personally, I think legalizing marijuana will not only benefit mankind overall, but will turn the tide on the war on drugs. It's also been shown to be effective in reducing crime rate and black markets and such in many European countries (such as Switzerland, and the Netherlands where they actually have cannabis "coffeeshops" where you can go to buy/smoke pot) which have decriminalized the use and possession of the plant.

Whatya think ?

"Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction." - Bob Marley

[John]

I think that marijuana should be legalized in the United States. The main reason i think this is that it will vastly aid our ailing economy. It will save a lot of government spending in the process of arresting people for marijuana when most are just simple possession not dealing. Also, if companies were able to manufacture and sell marijuana it would add a whole new aspect to the market and would pump a lot more money into the economy.

[Ray-Chill]

I'm all for this..
I'm not sure of the actual figures..
But by legalizing it and taxing it we're putting money back into our government and taking the spending out of arrests and prison time.
1/3 of people in prison are there for Marijuana related crimes.
If you figure it takes about $500 a day for a criminal to be in jail..
Imagine all the money we would save..
Not including the money a tax on it would be..

It could single handily save our government from this debt.
PLus the food some many people would need and spend money on for the munchies..
It has no PROVEN long term affects.. And in the end doesn't hurt you as much as most people think.

On the other hand though..
It could make our nation even lazier, and fatter...

But hell.. Our country would be better off.

[Sci_Girl]

Already a thread on this. (you need an account to see links)

[SugarCoated]

Already a thread on this. (you need an account to see links)

^
What happened to this? lol

With regard to this issue. I believe that marijuana is safe as long as its used in moderation. In one of the studies I've read, cigarette smoking and/or alcohol drinking is even more addictive than smoking pot. Plus there are medical advantages in the use of this drug such as in the case of relieving anxiety. Furthermore, there are no signs and symptoms of withdrawal in relation to use of the drug whereas alcoholism and cigarette smoking have very evident withdrawal signs. If this drug will be legalized then I believe that there will be cheaper and more accessible ways of buying marijuana hence will decrease crime rates related like robbery or theft and increase in successful cases in relieving pain and anxiety in hospital patients.

On the other hand if we legalize the free use of this drug, there will be an increase rate of stoned driving and related dangers. Also, the drug is known to be the "stepping-stone drug" or the "gateway drug" to other more dangerous drugs like coke, heroin, etc. In effect, it will open an opportunity to further legalize these other drugs. Also if we'd allow it to legalize, there is an increased risk that marijuana users will include the younger age brackets as it will be much easier to obtain pot.

In most cases tho, people who use pot only use it for recreational purposes. It's pretty much like smoking a cigarette plus the benefits of getting high. I can't see any reason why not legalize the use of marijuana as long as the government could present a bill wherein pros outweigh the cons.

I'd say I'm 70% pro-30% con.

[thequeen]

how long did it take to dig that up... from 2011 LOL
ok, I guess this is old topic then, everyone unanimously supports legalization. *clap*

[seanf]

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Thought this was quite interesting, shared by cheech and chong on my fb

[ShadowCreature]

William Randolph Hearst ran a smear campaign against marijuana in the 1930s to protect his interests in the timber industry because hemp was considered more affordable, he started by saying it will retard you, it will make you impotent and such, nothing wrong with weed, it would free up our courts and our police force, and even if it was decriminalized would be better, just give someone a ticket for smoking pot like you would a speeding ticket, saves everyones time and makes a bit of money on the side but at the moment, all this bullshit is costing us mega bucks in court fees

[Ape]

It should defiantly be legalized i mean it has medical uses and also we could tax it and help get out of our debt i mean if you don't want people to get high why on earth would you want people drunk and alcohol is legal so why should pot not be also posting this on 4/20 have a great day

[Ronith]

No.

We don't need more impaired people driving while under the influence of something. Plus it will never ever happen. Every car insurance company is against it. If it would ever go through, expect to pay tripled what you are currently paying.

Plus do you really want the goverment to regulate the sale of marijuana? Look at the good job they are doing with USPS and AMTRAK.