And I am not simply looking for the cookie-cutter answer that "it is a gateway drug." Give me a break. That's a generalization, and not backed up by a logical argument whatsoever. I have a friend who smokes daily, graduated with a 4.0 from one of the top colleges in the country, and has never had the desire, let alone the need, to experiment with more hardcore drugs. So why is this drug illegal? How is it any more dangerous to society than alcohol?
2006-08-30 15:12:41 · 16 answers · asked by katie m. 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
I did a term paper in Criminal Justice class in college in the 70's. I am going to tell you the truth about how marijuana became illegal.
We had a Constitutional Amendment which prohibited the consumption of alcoholic beverages. It sort of made a real mess of our entire society, just as the current War on Drugs has made of it.
So, finally the Amendment was repealed.
At that time, the whisky companies spend a fortune of bogus, and hoax filled advertisement and propaganda, and lobbying of legislators, to outlaw marijuana since a lot of people were using it free and not buying their booze.
They acted just like Nazi or feminist propagandists, with all sorts of lies and phony stories about murders and rapes.
So, today, nearly 80 years later, we still have illegal marijuana.
A number of studies have shown that marijuana is much less dangerous than booze. The 1894 India Hemp Drug Commission found that. The La Guardia commission in the 20's both found it would be a disaster to switch people from hemp to booze.
I have never been drunk on booze, and haven't touched the stuff in the last 35 years. Nor have I smoked pot, not even ala Clinton without inhaling. But, I have to tell you it really frosts me to think about the cops having a big beer party to celebrate a big marijuana bust. That is so sick!
it is not a good idea to smoke pot, simply because it is illegal, and getting caught can destroy really good career plans.
2006-08-30 15:29:37 · answer #1 · answered by retiredslashescaped1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't smoke it, but I know a lot of people who did or still do. I don't think it's more harmful than cigarette smoking and I believe it intoxicates like alcohol--and alcohol is legal. WI sells a marijuana tax stamp--but those are bought by collectors. If you're arrested for possession and you don't have a tax stamp--EXTRA fine. I find no logical reason not to legalize it. It's a step towards regulating it--and that's what the govt loooooooves to do (there is an argument here for getting 'safe' pot, so it is only to the govt benefit to regulate and tax it.
2006-08-30 15:27:44 · answer #2 · answered by Cherie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This answer is a little off center and not exactly what you're looking for, but it nevertheless reflects my thoughts on that question, as it was stated.
I believe that 'there is no intelligent (acceptable) argument' for banning any act whatsoever, to include pornography, pedophilia, cocaine, and various frauds...... IF....the law challenger has a personal desire for that activity, gets enjoyment from it, and feels they aren't harming anyone. From that perspective, nothing is immune from the argument of making something legal.
If you happen to believe marijuana should be legalized, no one will convince you otherwise.
No offense - Just another opinion.
2006-08-30 15:31:56 · answer #3 · answered by nothing 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why it's illegal: plain and simple, the government can't regulate it, nor can they control the distribution. Due to that, it is not legal.
The government can control the distribution and sales of alcohol, as well as tax it. That is why alcohol is legal. But with marajuana can be grown by anyone with a planter and some seeds. They would not be able to control the distribution and sales of the drug, since anyone can grow it. And due to the availability of anyone being able to grow it, there would be no way to tax it. So as long as this is true, it will never become legal.
2006-08-30 15:23:25 · answer #4 · answered by volleyballchick (cowards block) 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your friend is not an example, he is a one in a bazillion exception. Tell me how he's doing in another 5 or 10 years - burnt out and pushing a cart full of returnable bottles down the road?
I have worked with people in the past that smoked their lunch and I can tell you first hand that I would not trust them to house sit my cat - let alone give them any real responsibility.
A great number of people in this country cannot even handle alcohol responsibly - why the hell would we throw another drug into the mix?
2006-08-30 15:27:39 · answer #5 · answered by LeAnne 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
a lot of human beings assume that marijuana changed into made unlawful by some type of procedure with regards to clinical, clinical, and authorities hearings; that it changed into to guard the voters from what changed into wanting to be a unfavourable drug.the actual tale shows a a lot diverse image. those who voted on the legal destiny of this plant in no way had the data, yet were depending on thoughts provided by using those who had a particular time table to lie to lawmakers. You’ll see below that the first actual federal vote to restrict marijuana changed into depending fullyyt on a documented lie on the floor of the Senate.You’ll also see that the historic previous of marijuana’s criminalization is stuffed with: a)Racism b)worry c)secure practices of company salary d)Yellow Journalism e)Ignorant, Incompetent, and/or Corrupt Legislators f)own occupation progression and Greed those are the actual motives marijuana is against the law.
2016-11-23 15:21:31 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
alcohol is a depressant. in the right amounts it can be relaxing and even good for your health. also it has been legal since it's creation (apart from Prohibition). marijuana is a hallucinogen. it can produce hallucinations/delusions for some users, which is not true of alcohol. it is also believed to kill brain cells.
(p.s. there are so many "independent producers" of the crop that if the government legalized it they would make no profit from it. example: taxes)
2006-08-30 15:22:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the Government does not now how to put a TAX on it.
I am a cancer survivor, do you know I could not get it for the pain...
2006-08-30 15:19:57 · answer #8 · answered by Jennifer A 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If we based every law on the "I had a friend" standard, we would be in one hell of a mess.
Generalizations are often generally true. . .
2006-08-30 15:18:40 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
YUP! it cant be monitored, unlike grog and ciggy's which carry high taxes, pot can be grown at home, so the government gets no dollars from it! its money not health!
2006-08-30 15:18:51 · answer #10 · answered by Aussieblonde -bundy'd 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋