I remember a governmental campaign several year ago that said by the age of 25 48% of the population...?

Question

will have treid cannabis...

So why isn't it legalised if we live in a democracy.

Ok this Yahoo UK answers...

Comparing murder to smoking of cannabis strange... I'd start by making private ownership of firearms illegal. You allow crack heads free access to guns what do you expect?

Answer 1

I wrote a very in-depth paper on why marijuana should be legalized in the U.S. back in college.

I brought up many points in my paper, but the two items that always stuck out for me and the debate topics I raised were these:
1. There's a lot of money in the enforcing of illegal drugs (including other harsher narcotics). Legalizing marijuana would significantly alter the DEA's role in law enforcement.
2. Taxes. I'm not a pot smoker, but I truly see nothing wrong with it. If it weren't for the fear of losing my job due to a drug screening, I probably would indulge in a joint here or there. But can you imagine if it were legalized? Consider how much tax there is on a pack of cigarettes. Where I live there is $1.25 tax on a pack of cigarettes. You'd think that legislators would be trying to do all they can to make a saleable item like marijuana legal so they could impose heavy tax on it. They aren't. I think they're morons for not doing it!
3. Legislators are scared. They seem to think there's a backward effect on the economy and on bootlegging (similar to what happened with Prohibition back in 1919). Breaking down that economic structure of drug dealers and DEA agents would have a significant role on that portion of the economy.
4. People still believe that marijuana is the gateway drug. I'll admit it, I smoked a little pot in college. I never have even seen other street drugs except for on t.v. I'm living proof that toking up once a month doesn't lead you down the path to heroin or meth. But people seem to think it does.

I think that would be my true answer here, Wayne. I think people are just scared of pot. I've been around drunks and potheads, and I can say from my experience that potheads don't beat their wives and girlfriends, they typically don't get behind the wheel and kill masses of people. I don't see the legalization of any drug becoming legal, at least no time soon, anyway. I would champion any legislator who classifies marijuana into a different group from other street drugs. I don't think it should be punishable by the heavy fines and prison times or punished in the same way that possession and distribution of say coke, meth or heroin (unless you try to sell it to a minor.)

I'd settle for that. But the problem is, no legislator wants to write that Bill and be called a junkie.

Answer 2

It's a Department of Justice fact that crime rates are trending upwards in the U.S., specifically homocide rates.

Should we legalize murder?

EDIT: I used the analogy to show that just because more people are using marijuana doesn't necessarily mean that it should be legalized.

Now I see that you're in the UK. You have easy access to legal marijuana. Take the train through the Chunnel and go to Amsterdam. You can smoke to your hearts content.

In the US, crackheads can't get a weapon... not legally at least. Federally licensed firearms dealers are highly regulated by the BATF. I'm pretty sure they don't want to be fined and imprisoned for selling weapons to less-than-desirable folks like that. As for making private ownership of firearms illegal, well, I would expect that from someone whose government has been trending more socialist with time. And it is true, the UK is a social democracy.

I am by no means a gun-wielding, right-wing nutjob, but I do believe that the "right to bare arms" is one reason why the US government has remained a democractic republic as opposed to reverting to any sort of aristocratic system after the Revolution. And even if firearms ownership were made illegal, criminals would still have access to guns via the blackmarket. You seem to have that problem in the UK, as I recall: firearms ownership is restricted/heavily monitored, but criminals are still able to get them, and commit crimes with them.

Oh well, I'm trying to have a logical argument with someone who would rather smoke marijuana and let the government take care of them... hoping the whole time that they would remain a citizen and not revert back to being a subject.

Answer 3

Me included. Wonder how many of that 48% beat someone up or became aggressive or had a car accident under the influence of marijuana. You can't even OD on cannabis, people do on alcohol all the time and it costs our NHS billions; I don't drink alcohol because I dislike the effects it has on people.

Cannabis is not even addictive - sure, it can be addictive in the same shopping can, but there's no addictive chemicals like there are in alcohol and tobacco (both legal drugs which pose a greater threat to our health service, society, non-users etc.)

Answer 4

Because too many of our lawmakers are afraid of change. And because if it was legalized, the pharmacutical companies would go broke...cannabis is good for so many ailments.

Answer 5

Can you truly think of a practical benefit to introduce another legal health-damaging substance? I smoke, and I wish tobacco was illegal.

Answer 6

because it would be too easy to grow at home so they wont make money off of it.
do you honestly think they're WORRIED about us? i think not.
if they were, alcohol, cigarettes, and fatty foods would be illegal.

Answer 7

If you are in the US, we don't have a democracy. It is a representative republic.

Answer 8

Please please please please please don't do this younger au pair girl. Please, if you can't get sexually pleased with your wife, tell her...and she will change what she does. please don't do it...my dad did something like that and it ruined are family PLEASE DON'T!! E-mail me back, we can talk about this.