taking a poll.....do you think marijuana should be legal?

Answer 1

There was a movie in the 1950's called reefer maddness. It greatly overexagerated the effects of marijuana. Unfortunatly this helped shape americas views on the plant, and long lasting impressions stuck. Its a shame. Heres an essay I took off my website i thought you might enjoy:

marijuana is the most commonly uses illegal substance in the United States. it is used by many people, most of which aren't your stereotypical "druggie", with no life agead of them. Many of them hapen to be very successful, good people. Think about it almost if not every person who reads this paper will know (even if they don't realize it) at least one if not several regular users of marijuana. Its often made out to be much more harmful htan it really is, unfortunatly not every one realizes this.

What many people don't realize is marijuana is much less harmful than alcohol or tobacco. Yet it's the one of the three that gets a bad rap and is illegal. Marijuana isn't even physicaly addicting. You certanly don't see meetings for marijuana like you do with alcohol and AA. Unfortunatly due to American culture the less harmful of the three is illegal.

The most common reason why marijuana can be harmful is that people can often come across laced marijuana without realizing it. Marijuana can easily be mixed with other more harmful drugs with out the buyer realizing it, until they have already used it. This is a dangerous thing that causes many people to do more harmful, hard core drugs without realizing it. If it were to be legalized the government could provide guide lines, like it does with alchol to insure that people knew what they were putting into their bodies.

Marijuana actually has many helpful benefits toward diseases / sicknesses. Marijuana can reduce nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused by AIDS. It can Reduce interlobular pressure, which alleviates the pain and slowing and sometimes even stopping the progress of glaucoma. Common side effects of chemotherapy are nausea, loss of appetite, and vomiting, all of which marijuana would help. It can limit muscle pain and relieve tremor nad unsteadiness of gait for multiple sclerosis patients. Marijuana can help prevent epileptic seizures in some patients. It can also alleviate chronic, often debilitating pain caused by myriad disorders and injuries. Each one of these applications have been deemed legitimate by at least one United States court, legislature, and/or government agency.

Due to these reasons and many others many people are going to jail/prison on a daily basis due to simply smoking a little pot These aren't dangerous criminals that would kill or rape someone. Many of them are teachers, lawyers and respected members of their communities. But yet we still pay thousands of dollars of tax payers money to lock up non dangerous "criminals" yearly even though most aren't going to stop after they get out of jail. Don't you think the money spent here is a waste? Couldn't it be going to more useful things such as hospitals, disease research, or better schools? These are the things that would benifit the people of this country. Certanily you would rather benefit the people more than throwing a non violent pot head in jail who was only trying to smoke a joint and relax after a long days work in jail. There is up to forty million regular (note thats just the regular not occasional users) drug users in the United states. If we were to throw all of them in jail it would cost $500,000 per million people, plus the cost and space of building many more prisons. Couldm't that money be spent on building hospitals? There's already about 1.5 million people tax payers are paying to keep in jail over drugs. From 1990 to 2003, nearly 5.9 million people had been arrested for smoking marijuana. Thats a greater number than the entire population of Alaska, Delaware, The District of Columbia, Montania, North and South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming combined. This country simply can't afford to put 40 million more in jail.

Marijuana should be legalized. It has many uses such as helping sick patients. People are going to smoke it no matter what the government sais, and with out govenment guidelines this can be dangerous. Not to mention the fact that we have no way we can afford to throw all those people in jail. Its much less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, which are legal, so doesn't it make sense that it would be also?

Answer 2

Never. 1) "Is it safe?" NO! It is a psychotropic drug, not matter what anyone says. Remember, the metabolites stay in the body for up to 30 days. all the push to get it legal is from the government. doesn't that make anyone suspicious? 2) "The jails would be empty if it was legal ?" NO< The jails would be empty if people would not break the law. No matter how you look at it, the jails would be empty if people would stop doing crime. Don't lower the bar. 3) "Legalizing it would stop street sales": Ah, no.... Criminals will not stop being criminals. Vicodin is legal and it is sold on the street.. Cripes< Coach purses are legal, but knockoffs are sold on the street.
4) "It doesn't cause cancer like tobacco" This has been proven to be false. Besides, Bob Marley died of cancer. His excessive ghanja smoking probably contributed to the melanomas in his lungs.
5) "It is not a gateway drug".....Ah, yes it is as evidence by thousands who started out smoking pot and then mixed it with other drugs. you very rarely have drug busts where pot is the ONLY illegal substance. 6) " it is not as bad as alcohol"- Ah, again WRONG! Millions of people drink responsibly, although I do not advocate for that either... however, no drug is harmless. No one knows when that limit would be reached. Some people smoke tobacco for years also, without any damage... doesn't justify it...also, driving skills are extremely impaired when on pot.
7) "It is good medicine".....Still does not justify recreational smoking. the medicinal benefits would be the same with hybrid hemp products.... all we are looking for is the CBD not the delta9/THC. Unless you are a child with specific seizures...you don't need it. keep smoking and if your brain chemistry gets affected, you just may end up with seizures. Asprin is a MUCH safer and effective pain killer. marinol is already being given for nausea, and appetite problems... NO body knows how it affects the ovaries, and future generations. YOU might want to look at it as the cause of so many autistic kids.
8) Second hand smoke- THERE ya' go! What the heck, we gotta smell that crap now?
Here is the real killer: It makes revenue. Hello, bringing back jobs and industry would make much better revenue.
Think about it- people already spent billions in Colorado- that is what the media tells us. if those same people who crossed bridges to get to the Pot Shops were given a choice, donate your money for infrastructure, or buy Pot- what would they choose? And, you tell me it's not addicting? PSHAW!

Answer 3

Absolutely, YES! I can't believe how few people see the correlation between the Prohibition of the 20's and 30's and the current ban on Marijuana. And all banning alcohol did was catalyze the growth of American organized crime!

Just think economy! If legalized it would rapidly become a huge cash crop, generating millions, maybe billions in tax revenue. Also, hemp, I believe, can be made into an alternative fuel. HELLO? (It's already the biggest cash crop in Canada people.)

And don't give me safety arguments. Alcohol kills WAY more than pot even has the potential to. Make sober driving laws, sober working laws, fine. But don't discriminate in your hiring agains people who choose to smoke. As long as they are sober while at work, what does it matter?

Answer 4

I'm undecided. Generally speaking no I don't think it should be legal.

The idea that it never killed anyone is not true - it has contributed to many deaths.
http://www.wptz.com/news/2942684/detail.html
http://www.officer.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=7277 (ok it could be argued stupidity got this one)
http://www.briancbennett.com/charts/death/ornot.htm
http://www.briancbennett.com/charts/death/01pot-related.htm

There *are* cases I've heard of people using it even at risk of prosecution to ease medical symptoms. I think in *some cases* that is a different story. But after the medical marijuana passed in CA there were also people saying their "medical issue" was "stress".
I'm not convinced overall it is harmless. Anything that slows reactions or alters the mind is not harmless in many situations. The car driving towards me is a risk - one driving towards me with a driver stoned is not a risk I want to take.
Overall with few exceptions I'd say no it shouldn't be legal. And I've known people who used it - most were rude and had the attitude "I can do what I want and if it bothers you being around it so what". I do not want to be subjected to that in restaurants and other public places. Not defending alcohol but a drink taken by someone else is consumed by one person. You can't control smoke like a swallow of a drink. It makes me sick to be near it - physically - so I've never had any desire to use it but that's me.

Answer 5

that is an exceedingly strong question. My brilliant concept is that Marijuana has a particular stigma linked with it that's many years previous. human beings are often merely worried by utilizing it, pretty with each and every of the authorities propaganda initiating with "Refer insanity". I truly have talked about a mild shift contained in the overall attitude human beings in us of a have about marijuana. for instance, merely at present in California, a ballot became taken, and better than 50% felt that marijuana should be taxed and managed, particularly of being unlawful. MANY study were finished and shown that marijuana is way less risky, a lot less addictive, and a lot less of a weight on society than alcohol or tobacco. there is also no documented incident wherein marijuana has led to A unmarried lack of life. yet tobacco kills extra human beings in us of a than the different unmarried element. There also are distinct circumstances the position alcohol has led to lack of life. This is going to exhibit that there somewhat is not any strong answer on your question.

Answer 6

Like a few said, yes but with limitations. Same as Amsterdam, where a person is only able to buy like 5 joints per day or something.

Scientific fact: Weed has never killed anyone.

Meaning, you have a better chance of dying from smoking cigarrettes than from smoking weed.

Answer 7

many states have made it legal for medical use. but the government says they can't use it so its in court. if the government legalized it, instead of costing billions a year to destroy it and use of agencies to find it, they tax it and make ten fold back. it also helps the economy as everyone gets the munchies and the grocers would make more money. everyone wins.

Answer 8

No.And think about it. If someone had marijuana and they were on the road, and you were behind that person,that person could have had too much and they could lose control and then you would have got hurt because you were behind the crazy man.So think about it.

Answer 9

i would have said yes a year back or even 2 mths back
but a very close friend of mine ended up going in to a Mentle hospital because of this drug she took it for many years so i say no now
respect
shaz

Answer 10

Yes, with the exeption of some limitations, like smoking and driving.