What are the reasons
2007-03-09 03:56:56 · 14 answers · asked by stef8705 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
the reasion is you have to pay tax on alcohol if the government could find a way to tax cannabis it would then be legal to buy
2007-03-09 07:16:28 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are plenty of examples of this in law. Laws are made in reaction to current circumstances in our society. Cannabis wasn't a factor when in the 17th century, Europeans started smoking tobacco. No-one knew there was anything harmful about it, so it was never prohibited. Once something is in common use, it's hard to win support for laws against it - imagine a law banning coffee for example; it's just not going to make it into the statutes.
However, cannabis has never been a mainstream habit, and in the 60s when it became popular with the Hippy generation, there were sufficient opponents of that whole movement that there was never any chance it would be legalized.
Our laws are not absolute; they are made to reflect the current standards within society. If cannabis becomes widely acceptable, our law makers will change the laws. At the moment, the pendulum is headed in the opposite direction, with more and more states adopting laws against smoking.
2007-03-09 12:31:44 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Alcohol has been socialised over many centuries. We know where we stand with it. It is only a problem if you habitually have too much of it. Also, there is no evidence that alcohol is a gateway drug.
Cannabis, on the other hand is addictive, could be a gateway drug, and the new stronger version can lead to psychotic problems. Who knows what a safe level is, even if there is such a thing.
2007-03-09 12:59:14 · answer #3 · answered by Veritas 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cannabis became an illegal drug in America because a senator said it made people crazy and it would make them commit crimes.
This was accepted in the UK and the government made it illegal over here without any investigation of the facts.
Alchohol is still legal in the UK because of historical usage and the vast amount of tax revenues it produces.
2007-03-09 12:21:06 · answer #4 · answered by Geoff E 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot of it has to do with measuring intoxication.
Just as it's not a good idea to drink and drive, it's not a good idea to smoke pot and drive. (I don't care what your friends say, they don't drive better high.)
If an officer suspects you of driving drunk, he can breathilize you, and know how drunk you are. As far as testing for marijuana, they can only ID if you've used it in the past few months. I've heard a lot of people involved in the law say that they wouldn't have a problem with it being legal if there was a way to measure ones intoxication.
So if they can't draw a line on how high is TOO high, you can't be high at all.
2007-03-09 12:09:50 · answer #5 · answered by Rhyno 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My answer to this question is because its to do with Politics. They tried to ban it in america, thats when the mafia was made and they made all their money off prohibition, as police, judges, and politians were all drinking it and buying it illegally. So they just legalised it again. fake politians who do not give a flying fu*k about this country andits people thats why its legal and cannabis aint!!
2007-03-09 12:12:07 · answer #6 · answered by london lady 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the government taxes and regulates alcohol and cannabis/marijuana is an uncontrolled tobacco largely marketed by drug gangs with no regulation or quality control, ie.. you don't really know what you're getting.
2007-03-09 12:06:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, the simple answer is because the people who wrote the laws chose to make one legal and the other illegal.
Why did they do that? Well, lawmakers rarely need to justify their actions. But the best guess would be that the alcohol industry had really good lobbyists -- good enough to get a constitutional amendment passed repealing prohibition.
The marijuana industry hasn't been successful at lobbying Congress to change its laws. So, Congress hasn't.
2007-03-09 12:02:32 · answer #8 · answered by coragryph 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
People were afraid of it when it first popped no the scene.. So they made it illegal.. Now, no politian has the balls to take on the conservatives and others who oppose the leagalization of it..
I'm an Eagle Scout, Former All State Football Player, College Grad, and I now make 50K a year.. I still smoke pot like once a week.. Great way to relax after a crazy business week.. I have never been arrested.. Never committed a real crime besides smoking weed.. Whatever.. Its only illegal if you act like an idiot and get do something stupid and get caught.. Or.. If the Bush administration taps your phone..
2007-03-09 12:06:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
My guess is there's no way to determine exactly how high someone is on marijuana. In other words, a breathalyzer equivalent is needed for marijuana before it becomes legal in the US. Maybe they can develop it in a country where it's already legal, if that's even possible.
2007-03-09 12:07:05 · answer #10 · answered by N M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋