legalize marijuana?

Question

I just wondered what peoples opinions are on this. i think that it should be legal, but i am interested in what people think about, and why.

Answer 1

Right now we have rediculous, over the top laws banning marijuana. These laws were meant to control certain groups of people. For example, why is Crack punished more harshly than Cocaine? They're nearly the same thing with extremely similar effects and dangers. Guess who uses crack? Black people. Guess who the creaters of this law meant to control? Black people. Same with pot. The law was meant to control protesters and social demonstrators in the 60s and 70s. Sure there are health risks and dangers. But following this thought process alcohol should be illegal too. It's not because too many rich white people use that drug. The government could easily make it legal and then tax it in the way tobacco is handled. This would not only allow the government to make money (which it could sure use), but allow for citizens to buy marijuana at a government run location that can control the potency and provide a safe environment for users to get the drug without risk of harm from dealers or the risk of other drugs being mixed with the pot. It's just common sense at this point.

Answer 2

It should be legalized. Before I go on as to why, let me make it clear that smoking ANYTHING is bad for your health. Take a look at other countries like the Netherlands where you can smoke weed while walking down the street. That country has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. Not only did they legalize the green stuff, they've also federally regulated it along with prostitution. Technically, if someone abuses a prostitute, she can report that person to the police and criminal charges will be filed respectfully. None of this "oh, she was just a whore" crap that we have going on over here. Whoa, bit of a tangent. Anyways, it's just this way of thinking over in place like that that makes a country so much safer and free from fear. Unlike what's going on on this side of the Atlantic...

Answer 3

although i do not like the idea of it being legal, i know that people will still do it anyways, so my views are: if they are still going to do it, we might as well tax them for it. I mean, atleast the country would be getting SOMETHING out of it. I don't see anything wrong with it, and i have done it on occasion, but i think if it were legal people would do it more out in public which wouldn't be good (for example, when i did it, i would stay home because i was afraid of getting caught, but if it were legal, i might go out because i wouldn't have that fear and i would be putting other people in danger because of my slow reaction time) So in conclusion, i think it should not be legal because people need that fear of getting caught in order to stay safe on the roads etc (plus, i think to some people part of the thrill of it is because it's illegal) but i don't really have a problem if it is legal because there is so much of it sold that we would be getting a lot more tax money from it.

Answer 4

If alcohol were invented today it would be a schedule II controlled substance just like meth and crack. We spend millions enforcing marijuana laws that prosecutors really don't care to prosecute because judges are so lenient on offenders. I say come up with a good DUI test for it, legalize it, sell it in the ABC stores so we can tax the hell out of it and make a mint. I'd much rather arrest a stoned guy than a drunk guy. Drunk guys want to fight and stoned guys just want to know if they can take their potato chips to jail with them.

Answer 5

Regardless or whether or not you use marijuana, or your opinion on using it, the fact remains that it will be used. In my opinion, the use of marijuana is the same as prostitution: legalize it in order to regulate it. While I personally don't think the government should profit off of it, maybe the taxes they would put on buying it could go towards non profit organizations.

Answer 6

boundby4strings has it right. It's all about politics. Alcohol and tobacco aren't exactly good for you either - look how many people die every year from lung cancer, liver disease, cardiac disease, etc, but those are legal and I'm ok with that. I don't think it should be up to our government to dictate what we can or can not put into our own bodies. If I act like a responsible grown up and don't drive or go to work high or whatever why should it be anybody's business??

Answer 7

No it's bad enough people drink and drive but that would just add to more trouble. I do think Weed is safer then Alcohol because you do not hear people going out and beating there wives or killing someone when they just smoked some weed. Alcohol seems to turn some people into thinking they are Superman. Not too many potheads that want too go out and start a fight as long as you do not take there Doritos's away!!

Answer 8

I think legalize it for medical use only. But lighten the penaltys instead of jail time to curve prison overcrowding and keeping the tax payers from having to pay for it. Instead make them do community work and pay stiff fines. Because this is a drug. But then again I think amsterdam survives with it being legal or at least accepted there more. They have cafes that they smoke them in like coffey houses. I dont here of them on the news that much having major riots there. So thats the only source I can think of.

Answer 9

I favor the Government REGULATING the whole drug industry!

That way it will not be the Oxymoron of "Controlled Substances", but the reality of Regulated Substances!

Let the American Farmers, Marketers, and Retailers cash in on all of the Billions of Dollars we are currently letting other Countries take from us!

TAX the hell out of it and use a portion to offer substance abuse clinics!

Get it out of the opportunistic Market that preys on School Kids to handle the selling of!

When have you ever seen a Kid standing on a Street Corner selling Bootleg Alcohol?

What occurred when Alcohol was illegal?


ADDED--After reading the very uninformed "Opinions" about something they do not understand-allow me to educate you of a couple of very significant points!

I was into Pot more for the money I got(Just Spending Money in the 70's before it became even more lucrative with the failed war) and the thrill involved in being a rebel!-A lot like getting Coors beer before it arrived in Texas!

Next, consider that people are getting as much as they want anyway, only now it is produced in foreign countries by people who are not watched and they could easily contaminate the un-inspected product knowing full well it is going into Americans lungs!-Wake up people before your own Kid possibly suffers from this potential terrorist attack!--Regulated means Controlled!

Answer 10

Yes, legalize it! Marijuana is causing more problems being illegal than legal. I don't even care to smoke marijuana but would like them to legalize it. It's not a matter of taxing it either. It's also a religious practice by some.