In the marijuana debate why do people automatically say "it's illegal PERIOD"?

Question

Why don't they take time to ask why is it ILLEGAL to begin with.

Like did you know...marijuana was first made illegal in 1937 by Harry Anslinger because...at the time Mexicans were the only ones that really used it and he wanted to arrest them?

The law was also passed because those that were voting against it didn't even know what they were really voting on....they just listened to what Mr. Anslinger said. (that sounds familiar..huh)

I just wish more people actually took the time to educate themselves before making such ignorant statements as..."It's illegal period". Kind of like...Daddy government said it's bad...so it is so.

Answer 1

because it never has been a part of their lives
here are some points about marijuana and a moral statement for political reasons

my general answer,
I do not think that it will ever be legal in the USA,if a
anything the politics are moving in the oposite direction and a fascist attitude against minority groups is growing

ATITUDES IN OTHER COUNTRIES
mild in Canada.used to be legal in Alaska.in Autralia you can have a few plants in the garden,In South Africa an ounce in your pocket is accepted .In Holland it is sold openly in koffie Bars and the police will direct tourist to safe places to buy.}in England a few years ago it was decrimenalised.
In Marroco it is the culture and all the old men smoke it in the caffees..as in many Arab countries
In Asia in some countries it is a very old part of their culture.
etc. etc.

MEDICINAL
in many countries marijuana is used in rubbung alcohol mostly by old people to relieve body pains especially the limbs.
it is also used for Asthma and nervous disorders
AMERICA
the USA the attitude is dogmatic for other reasons than the narcotic effects of the drug.
before 1920 marijuana was extensively grown by the USA and Mexico for the production of fibre.which made a durable material,cheap and it does not scorch,that was used for all the jeans,ropes,sails for the sailing ships and millions of jute bags that were used by millions of farmers,representing a multimillion dollars business.

after 1920 with the coming of synthetic materials,which were products of the petrolium business ,which were owned by the families or associates of most of the presidents,

this competitive comodity could not be allowed to continue to exist,
and the war on Mariujana was on.

the drug factor although it has been proven beyond doubt by countless tests that it was a relative harmless substance compared to sigarettes,alcohol and others,was blatently ignored and relentlessly the war continued to this day.
although it does worry the church, since people tended to stay up all night and question religious and philosohical beliefs.some times coming to uncomplementary conclusions of what was socially accepted.

alcohol puts people to sleep and they dont question the given standards.


MARIJUANA FIBRE
today Mariujana fibre is making a come back in Europe and Africa and produce designer pantalons and shirts for very high prices because the quality is superior than linnen.

these fibre plants do not produce drugs to speak of and are worthless for the drug market .it is the fibre that is the value.

and organically speaking it is an exelent plant to recuporate tired soils ,after cattle and corn field have practically destroyed the land,because the plant is deep rooted grows on most altitudes,and breaks open or loosens compacted soils as well as secreting nitrogen.

.the stalks can also be converted in to building material such as blocks

P.S the war against Marijuana ,has traditionally been used in Europe,Africa ,USA and Mexico,as an excuse for the Governments to invade peoples privacy,place soldiers and police strategically throughout the countries for control and observation,and to employ more security forces.
American Soldiers are in Mexico today suposedly for Marijuana but the real reasons are more sinister
It also creates the right climate for coruption and abuse of power(which was the norm rather than the exception in South Africa ,during the days of Aparheid ,when it was simple to place a bag of marijuana in some bodies house,who was unpopular with the authorities, in order to arrest or shoot them.)
Note:
i grew up in a drug culture and there was lots of weed around many of my friends still smoke and i am now 62.
for health reasons i dont smoke much any more .
in the early days these transitional drugs were necesary,for great changes in the general mentality,
today in many places,this mentality is here , and in reality the drugs have become obselete .

we wasted a lot of time messing around when we should have been thinking of our future,but at the time the cultural revolution was more important ,but not any more

we have reached what could be reached ,many druggies from the sixties are in leading positions today ,and a lot of changes are in place,(although some countries seem to be going backwards i think, but drugs are not the solution in this case)

my advice to anybody young now is leave the drugs ,alcohol,sigarettes alone ,dont be misled by peer pressure and concentrate on securing a good future.

when you are established and stable ,then is the time to play around with whatever you please ,at least in a democratic concept,

but dont do it when you are young because then you cannot afford to loose the time,and many people of today will look down on you as being a looser

Answer 2

You can throw the "War on Drugs" right in there with the idiocrasy of the "War in Iraq" by comparison alone. The ability of a drug to alter your thinking beyond the norm or status quo is an engine of rebellion and therefore intolerable to those who wish to control. But just forget about the ability to use any drug for a moment and look at the efforts to keep pot illegal.

Marijuana used for medicinal purposes is much cheaper than feeding people legalized pharmacutical drugs, for the sheer fact the pharmacueticals don't make money.

You never see the headline--"Pot induced rampage kills..."
Then you look at all the cash-crop values for marijuana concerning its durability and usefullness. You can make more products for less cost than cotton.

I think it all boils down to the ideal of Freedom. Freedom is a liberty that is sanctioned unless it directly violates anothers Freedom---so just where does Pot fall under this definition? Sure there are things that you shouldn't be doing while your high--working - driving - or doing anything that could directly influence the well being of others. So why is the ability to get drunk such a free-for-all. I just watched our Resident-in-chief make small talk on t.v. so under the influence--he should have been arrested for public endangerment! How bout Cheney and his shotgun fiasco? Is there any other plausible explanation for him not being exposed to normal police procedures?

Anyways--just do your part when you get your chance. Sign petitions, write your Legislators when issues come before them--or do whatever you have to do--enjoy!

Answer 3

People are brought up from childhood with DARE propaganda and constant barrages of anti-drug PSAs. When those same people actually try cannabis and find out it doesn't drive you insane, make you want to harm or kill people, or rape your friend's girlfriend(ever seen this PSA?), they start to question the government's motives behind Prohibition. Big Brother doesn't like when citizens start asking inconvenient questions. Those citizens aren't good little sheeple, ready to follow "Authority" over a cliff on the government's say-so.

EDIT:: The last couple of posters proves my point. If only they knew THC has actually been proven as a neuroprotective agent in recent studies, and that government is NOT infallible.

To the guy who's worked in psych wards: Cannabis does NOT cause psychosis. Cannabis and other psychoactive drugs can and do exacerbate pre-existing and latent conditions in susceptible people. Even the DEA admits so. Please, get off the propaganda wagon. You're just helping the corrupt heartless greedy monsters imprison innocent people for enjoying one of the Creator's greatest gifts to man. Moderation in all things, yes. Banning a plant that has proven medicinal properties just because of racist propaganda fed to ignorant legislators is not going to stop people from using it.

Answer 4

Marijuana is illegal and that's why its bad for you. LOL.
Seriously tho, as a former pothead who made the conscious decision to quit I believe that this is a product that can be marketed, controlled and taxed just like Alcohol in helping to lower tax rates even further. The reality is that more and more North Americans are choosing to smokeweed rather then drink alcohol because of the calming and relaxing effects it has on a person. Alcohol distorts your view and makes people feel more poweful and uninhibited therefore resulting in more risky, aggresive and outgoing behaviour, whereas marijuana calms people down to the point where they just want to sit and relax. Marijuana smokers also tend to be more relaxed and passive when under the influence.

People say that if marijuana becomes legal that it will lead to massive amounts of people deciding to smoke, just because its legal. Research has shown that due to the prohibition-like nature of the marijuana debacle, that it is currently much easier for a teenager to find ounces and even pounds of marijuana then it would be for them to get a mickey of Appleton Rhum.

As for my case, I decided to quit because I've been smoking up for about 8 years now and I want to make a new beginning on life as I approach my 25th birthday. I barely drink alcohol and when i do, its only a few as I dont like the feeling of getting overly intoxicated.

Answer 5

We cannot change the past. Correct?
We can start to change the future if it is for the greater good. Correct?
Is the legalization of marijuana for the greater good?
Every issue that had been won was due to persistence of good people.
Examples of this hard won rights are

1. Right to vote
2. Right to work
3. Right to ride the buses
4. Right to go to school

If you believe that the right to use marijuana should be included in that list, work for it.

Answer 6

And they are wrong, it's not "illegal period". In some states it's decriminalized, in some legal to have a small amount (I think)and some legal for medical purposes....so once again ignorant people make ignorant statements to satisfy their own sense of righteousness.

Answer 7

Have you been watching the news lately? We're not going to legalize marijuana for recreational use anytime soon, in fact we're pushing for new restrictions. If you haven't noticed, but fat is the new enemy for America, they've already banned trans fat from all restaraunts in New York City... And they will NOT even legalize hemp for industrial use in the United States for the mere fact that it is related to marijuana! If we cannot even legalize a plant that can be used for clothes, rope, as an alternative to plastic (and far less harmful to the environment than plastic), shampoo, paper, wood, and anything else you can think of, why on Earth would they ever even consider legalizing marijuana? Hemp when used in rotation with crops shows a significant reduction of pests within plants, and therefor would cause for less use of pestacides (which is also very bad for our environment). They are afraid that if they legalize hemp, something cannabis related is going to look good, and people will push to legalize weed. They don't care about how benificial it is on us. They don't care about the harm they are causing by keeping hemp illegal (when used for paper, it grows back much faster than trees, so we can use that instead of chopping down forrests)... All they care about is keeping marijuana (a relitivly safe drug) illegal. I'm not saying marijuana is a perfect drug, and I'm not saying marijuana has no major side effects, but when compared to two legal drugs, alcohol or tobacco, or any drug out there the effects of marijuana are nothing. Marijuana is not good for you, but neither is alcohol and neither is tobacco. Fat is not good for you, but does that mean we need to government to interfere and force us how to live healthy? Isn't this my body? Shouldn't I have the right to destroy myself if I so choose. I should be free get fat if I like. It should be my decision to live healthy, not my government's. The most dangerous effects of marijuana are effected by it's legality. Going to jail is the most harmful effect of marijuana, and it should not be a place a person should be sent for using. No drug user should ever be sent to prison. Drug addiction is a personal problem, not a criminal problem. What we need to do is educate people using the TRUTH and lead them in the right direction, and hope they follow, but if they choose not to, well we can't save them all... And keeping the drug illegal by telling us lies isn't helping society, and it is not keeping people off of drugs. It's just finding an excuse to put people in jail.

Yeah, in the past it was used as an excuse to arrests Mexicans, and in the 20s, crack was used to arrest black people (even though every body at the time was using), and in the 60s LSD was the excuse to arrest troublesome hippies opposing the war... Regardless of how it has come be be illegal, the fact is, it now is illegal, and with all these health issues going about, it's going to be a highly improbable road to legalization. The main problem? People like to follow like sheep. I like what was said in Thank You For Smoking... "If someone tells you something is bad, you should find out for yourselves, first."

Answer 8

Borg Collective

Answer 9

Let them say that.

It shows anybody else with an IQ higher than room temperature that they're incapable of intelligent, rational debate and should be ignored.

Answer 10

Well... it IS illegal.. It is an easy way out of the debate.. They have zero debating skills... might as well talk to a wall.. http://howardsdirect.com/ has "legal" bud online.

Answer 11

because this world is to politically correct!! it really gets on my goat. just live your own life do as you thinks right and hope for the best. generally "people" say its a gat5e way drug thats why it gets such a hard trot. maybe the government wouldnt make enough money of it, with the black market and all.