On the Legalization of Marijuana

[Hinth]

Still against legalizing. Cannabis is the gate to even heavier drugs. People always want more and more, doesn't matter what you give them 'cause they'll always be screaming for more. Enough should be enough! We already have to deal with the damage caused by another shitty legalized drug (alcohol), we don't need a second drug to add to the pot. A healthy people are people who are sober during their productive hours. No society would function if the citizens walked around drunk or high all days long. But I guess legalizing cannabis would make the people taking the drug think it's not all losery.

Not to be overly combative but I disagree with your post because you made several blanket statements and hypothetical scenarios that may or may not be true. Personally, I am still on the fence regarding marijuana legalization because as a relatively unbiased observer, I understand that each side has numerous reasonable arguments that successfully argues for their respective view. I don't want to take a firm stance yet, but I only wish people would attempt to be as objective as possible when discussing a topic as controversial as this. My two cents.

[Jolz]

I'd say we legalize pot, raise and enforce the drinking age, and punch cigarettes in the face!

woooah, leave smoking and drinking about of this. Do you realize the amount of medical benefits red wine and Guinness have? They are both recommended to pregnant women and Jack Daniels to the father to help deal with the pregnant women.

[|2eap]

Not gonna bother to state a point. its an ongoing debate. i'll just say what I support which is the decriminalization of marijuana.

[Magikarp]

I agree with both sides but I'm for legalizing.

Look at how much people do it illegally.
That's like untapped resources for taxing the shit out of people.
I'm all in for cheap weed but look at how much money That could make by taxing all these peeps

[Jolz]

I agree with both sides but I'm for legalizing.

Look at how much people do it illegally.
That's like untapped resources for taxing the shit out of people.
I'm all in for cheap weed but look at how much money That could make by taxing all these peeps

I did post this as a previous reply but I'll repost as it still fits.


If drugs become legal, shops will start selling them, thus making the shops now the "dealers." Once this happens, the government will tax the holy shit out of them which will create a black market for cheaper drugs, also to make them cheaper, the black market dealers will start cutting/mixing them with other shit to lower the price and make more profit so the problem will actually get worse.

Also, where do you draw the line? Drugs are illegal. Weed, is a drug but so is cocaine, meth and heroin. All drugs legal or just weed? In which case someone would want weed legalized purely on the fact they smoke it. You can easily grow white poppies and make opium does that make opium fair game to say "legalize it."

A main argument most weed smokers say is that it is natural as it comes from a plant, and all they do is stay doors, smoke weed instead of going out getting drunk and fighting.

Heroin come from white poppies. Its a plant so its natural, and heroin addicts stay doors and get high instead of going out getting drunk and fighting.

Just because someone does/likes something doesn't mean it should be fine for the rest of the public. I'd make all pop music illegal but I don't think that would be best for everyone else because it will start underground clubs for people to listen to it.


Not everything is as simple as saying "legalize it and the problem will go away" as in most cases it makes the problem much much worse.

[Magikarp]

So then why doesn't Amsterdam have these problems. Weed is taxed there I believe yet you can get them anywhere just like how we can get a cup of coffee anywhere. If it's anywhere i do t think there's gonna be a black market

[drd]

If drugs become legal, shops will start selling them, thus making the shops now the "dealers." Once this happens, the government will tax the holy shit out of them which will create a black market for cheaper drugs, also to make them cheaper, the black market dealers will start cutting/mixing them with other shit to lower the price and make more profit so the problem will actually get worse.

No matter what you do there will always be a black market for cheaper drugs. If you were talking about hard addictive substances, maybe cutting would be an issue, but with pot I don't see how it would be. Marijuana is called weed because it is a weed, it grows easily and is literally dirt cheap to produce... Probably even cheaper than anything you could cut it with. Plus it's actually worse right now as they are selling 'fake weed' (look up K12 incense if you haven't heard of it) over the counter, which is actually just random plant matter sprayed with chemicals. I severely doubt there would be a market for this crap if you could just buy bud. Bottom line, though, people should have the right to smoke it if they choose, same as alcohol. It's just simply not justified to tell people they can't do that when alcohol is worse in so many ways, I mean pot is literally devoid of any real danger,.

Also, where do you draw the line? Drugs are illegal. Weed, is a drug but so is cocaine, meth and heroin. All drugs legal or just weed? In which case someone would want weed legalized purely on the fact they smoke it. You can easily grow white poppies and make opium does that make opium fair game to say "legalize it."

Draw the line at weed. Simple as that. When your dealing with dangerous substances like cocaine, meth, and heroin, that's a given. But weed is not dangerous, period. And besides people that smoke it are not the only ones who want it legalized, there are plenty of others out there that want it for medicinal or political reasons (like stimulating the economy immensely), ect. I'm sure you've heard all this but I'm just saying, there's a lot more to it than a bunch of potheads wanting to get a buzz.

A main argument most weed smokers say is that it is natural as it comes from a plant, and all they do is stay doors, smoke weed instead of going out getting drunk and fighting.
Heroin come from white poppies. Its a plant so its natural, and heroin addicts stay doors and get high instead of going out getting drunk and fighting.

Actually morphine comes from white poppies, heroin is synthesized from morphine, so not so much a plant as a chemical. Plus, once heroin addicts run out they also go to extreme measures to get more. I don't see how you can logically compare the two (besides the fact that their both drugs, obviously). Apples and oranges.

Just because someone does/likes something doesn't mean it should be fine for the rest of the public. I'd make all pop music illegal but I don't think that would be best for everyone else because it will start underground clubs for people to listen to it.

And having weed illegal creates organized crime... sounds a bit worse than underground pop clubs.

Not everything is as simple as saying "legalize it and the problem will go away" as in most cases it makes the problem much much worse.

If anyone actually said that everything were that simple, I would have to agree with you, and slap that person. But when it comes to legalizing pot, yes it would make it a lot better.
The only reason there is a black market and organized crime surrounding weed is because it's illegal. It's also a huge untapped market that a large majority of the US (and most other countries for that matter) spends money on regularly and if it were taxed it would stimulate the economy tremendously. Not only that but it would create millions (if not more) jobs.
Honestly I can't think of one logically bad thing about it, as opposed to how things are now...

[Kay]

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.

this exactly. I have see members of my family use it, and it helps them alot and is even a deterrent to the growth of cancer cells. The only reason people are aganst it is because its illegal right now.

[DarkByte]

I say legalize it. It brings it so much money off taxes ect and not just from the weed sales , the glass industry for e.g sees a boost from the bong creation. Or the hydroponic industry sees a boost and probably dominoes too. It is addictive though and don't let anyone tell you different. Anything that alters your mind state is addictive.

[Miri]

Still against legalizing. Cannabis is the gate to even heavier drugs. People always want more and more, doesn't matter what you give them 'cause they'll always be screaming for more. Enough should be enough! We already have to deal with the damage caused by another shitty legalized drug (alcohol), we don't need a second drug to add to the pot. A healthy people are people who are sober during their productive hours. No society would function if the citizens walked around drunk or high all days long. But I guess legalizing cannabis would make the people taking the drug think it's not all losery.

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"Since then, numerous other studies have failed to support the gateway idea. Every year, the federal government funds two huge surveys on drug use in the population. Over and over they find that the number of people who try marijuana dwarfs that for cocaine or heroin. For example, in 2009, 2.3 million people reported trying pot � compared with 617,000 who tried cocaine and 180,000 who tried heroin."

You should read up on what happened to Portugal when they legalized all drug use...
(you need an account to see links)

we don't need a second drug to add to the pot.

I see what you did there