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Marijuana: Legalize or Ban?

Marijuana: Legalize or Ban?

  • Total voters
    36
TeleKat said:
Should we legalize marijuana or keep it banned?

I do not support the use of drugs in any way, however I do not think they should be illegal either. Here are five reasons drugs should be legalized:

It would cause the crime rate to drop:
When something is illegal, the prices for that certain good is ten times more expensive because it is dangerous to sell those goods. When drug addicts can not finance their addictions anymore they resort to crime to get money, so that they can afford those drugs. In a 2 1/2-year study of Detroit crime, Lester P. Silverman, former associate director of the National Academy of Sciences' Assembly of Behavior and Social Sciences, found that a 10 percent increase in the price of heroin alone "produced an increase of 3.1 percent total property crimes in poor nonwhite neighborhoods." Armed robbery jumped 6.4 percent and simple assault by 5.6 percent throughout the city. If drugs were to be decriminalized, the price of drugs would go down because it would be safer to sell them...with the price drop, it would be more affordable and less people would have to resort to criminal activity to afford it.

It would practically eliminate the prison overcrowding problem:
According to the Justice Policy Institute: "The United States leads the world in the number of people incarcerated in federal and state correctional facilities. There are currently more than 5 million people in American prisons or jails. Approximately one-quarter of those people held in U.S. prisons or jails have been convicted of a drug offense. The United States incarcerates more people for drug offenses than any other country. With an estimated 6.8 million Americans struggling with drug abuse or dependence, the growth of the prison population continues to be driven largely by incarceration for drug offenses." It's no wonder we have a prison overcrowding problem, we have more nonviolent offenders then we do violent offenders! If we decriminalize drugs, we could completely eliminate our prison overcrowding problem.

It would save tax money:
Billions of our tax dollars go into fighting the drug war. If we decriminalize drugs, that's all the more money we would save which would help reduce the deficit. It would also save more money to go towards prosecuting violent offenders. It's a waste of police resources to have SWAT teams busting down doors to arrest people for smoking a plant.

It would cripple organized crime:
The gangs of the country stand to lose billions in drug profits from legalization. The underworld became big business in the United States when alcohol was prohibited. Few others would risk setting up the illegal distribution networks, bribing officials or killing a policeman or competitor once in a while. When alcohol was re-legalized, manufacturers resumed production. The risk of getting caught and the high profits disappeared from the alcohol trade. Without the risk of alcohol smuggling, many organized gangs disappeared off the radar and crime went down exponentially. We can stand to learn a thing or two from the prohibition. It isn't so different from our current "War On Drugs".

It would shrink the size of government:
The War On Drugs is giving an incredible amount of power to police and federal agents. In an effort to keep drug crime down, police often pull random people over to check them for drugs. Entire federal agencies were even created specifically to keep drug use down. If we were to decriminalize drugs, several federal agencies would disappear and many powers given to police and federal agents would disappear. Also, it would get the government out of one more thing! It's not the government's business what you put in your body, and it only gives them more power over you if they are able to control that. I do not endorse the use of drugs, and I know the harmful effects, but I believe people should have a choice. The use of drugs really only harms the person smoking the drug. If we allow the government to use force and coercion to determine what we can put in our body, we are essentially allowing the government to claim our bodies. Also, if we allow the government to control what we put in our body...where is the line drawn? Soda is pretty unhealthy. The chemical aspartame has been proven to be one of the most dangerous chemicals put in any food or drink. Maybe we should ban sodas. Fast food is pretty unhealthy. Perhaps we should ban that too. Cigarettes are as well. Alcohol too. Where is the line drawn? Allowing the government to make health decisions for us is a very slippery slope. We could start a trend of the government making all personal decisions for us, which is already starting to happen. If we aren't free to make bad decisions, are we really free?

Thoughts? Opinions? Questions? Concerns?
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Yes...I have thoughts, opinions and concerns.

1. I voted to legalize marijuana...just as I voted for it when it came up for election here in Colorado.

2. But...you don't specify who you are talking about in your question. Legalize by whom? The federal government? The State governments?

3. I don't think marijuana should be legalized by the federal government and I don't think it should be made illegal by the federal government. I think the federal government should keep its nose out of the question and let the States decide for themselves.

4. Others have mentioned this...but I'll repeat it: Your poll question concerns marijuana, but your post seems not to be specific for marijuana, but appears to refer to all drugs...especially your point about prison populations and drug related crimes. You clarified later that you support the legalization of all recreational drugs. I thank you for that clarification.

5. I tend to agree with you about recreational drugs, but I draw the line at highly, physically addictive drugs. I think there should be a measure of control over such substances...whether from the State level or the federal level.
 
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Cryptic said:
And also not alot of good reasons to legalize it. Personally, I dont care if say, Colorado legalizes it. In fact, I wish my state would give people arrested several times for possession of marijuana the following benefits:

-A get out of jail free card
-free bus passes to Colorado
-vouchers for three months of free apartment rent

Colorado could then reap the benefits of having new consumers for their product.

At the end of the day, I think the costs to Colorado from becoming a drug tourism destination are going to out weigh the benefits.
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No, there are a lot of good reasons to legalize it. We stop spending so much money on arresting, prosecuting, and jailing non-violent marijuana users, for one; it will likely reduce violence and crime related to the drug trade; we'll also reap the tax benefits. It's a win on multiple levels.
 
Henrin said:
Highly Doubtful. It's not as if the population is going to become ignorant of the dangers of heroin, meth, and cocaine if it was legalized and just start buying it in huge numbers and any harm that comes with marijuana is not enough to land you in the hospital.
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The harm that comes from marijuana is enough to ruin your life. And the other hard drugs will be killing more people if it becomes cheaper and easier to buy.
 
Your Star said:
No, there are a lot of good reasons to legalize it. We stop spending so much money on arresting, prosecuting, and jailing non-violent marijuana users, for one; it will likely reduce violence and crime related to the drug trade; we'll also reap the tax benefits. It's a win on multiple levels.
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Marijuana is often a "gateway" drug to the harder stuff. For that reason alone it shouldn't be legalized.
 
digsbe said:
List those side effects using a medical source and a paper contrasting them to cannabis.

Natural =/= best or even good. Does having it made in a lab make it bad? THC may be therapeutic, marinol is essentially synthetic THC to be delivered in a specific dosage form to treat illness.

And yes, someone taking a prescription pain reliever is doing so as treatment under supervision of a healthcare provider. Someone who is using it illicitly for a high is abusing the medication. There is a reason why we have our medical model in place and why patients cannot legally self treat. You aren't entitled to go to a pharmacy and just buy the medications for blood pressure, insomnia, cholesterol, or anything else you might want. The state deems that as a public health issue and that such conditions need to be diagnosed and therapy planned in accordance with healthcare providers. You are making straw man arguments by comparing scheduled narcotics for pain with OTC heartburn meds that aren't commonly abused or produce a high. The qualifier is that abusing drugs is illegal as it is a harm to society and public health. Certain medications are also only allowed to be accessed via a prescription and dispensed by a pharmacy. They aren't all equal.
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One of the many things I think is sincerely ****ed up about your beliefs is that you're in school to be a doctor, are you not? You essentially just told me you should have the power to play god. The only difference between a horrible criminal that should be locked in a cage and have his life ruined and a patient being treated is your "blessing".

You were once very anti-medical marijuana, but I see you've jumped the fence. Honestly, it doesn't matter, because even with medical cannabis, there will always be Dr.'s who will prescribe it for everything, so all you're actually doing is locking people in cages for being too poor to go to a cannabis friendly doctor for a prescription. You're a real "tough" guy.

And Prilosec is also prescription, so if I get caught using prescription prilosec without a prescription, you want me to go to jail, "for the good of society".

Amanda1858 said:
Marijuana is often a "gateway" drug to the harder stuff. For that reason alone it shouldn't be legalized.
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Complete and utter bull****. You're parroting lines from DARE. Let's see some hard statistics showing how many people started sucking dick for heroine in alleyways after smoking pot.

Amanda1858 said:
The harm that comes from marijuana is enough to ruin your life. And the other hard drugs will be killing more people if it becomes cheaper and easier to buy.
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Funny, why have I been able to smoke it for years with absolutely zero problems? I have an excellent job, a great family, and am sincerely happy. Where is all this death and destruction supposed to come in?
 
Amanda1858 said:
And the other hard drugs will be killing more people if it becomes cheaper and easier to buy.
Click to expand...
Why, because you think more people would start using heroin if it were made legal tomorrow? Would you go out and start using heroin if it were legalized tomorrow? So what makes you think so many other people will?

If it's cheaper, that means addicts are less inclined to steal your lawn furniture to get their next fix.

If it's legal, that means addicts aren't risking overdoses or injecting rat poison into themselves. Remember all those overdoses a few months back, due to extra-potent heroin being on the market? That wouldn't happen in a legal and regulated industry where the potency is controlled and displayed for the buyer's information. Not to mention the fact that addicts are 100x more inclined to come in for help when they know they won't be arrested for their drug use.

Then there's the fact that drugs like crack, synthetic marijuana, and bath salts would not exist if not for the War on Drugs. People keep trying to find new and cheap substances that aren't specifically controlled for in the laws, and these new substances end up being much worse than the original. The War on Drugs causes more problems than it solves (which it doesn't really solve any in the first place).

The legalization and regulation of all drugs would make drug abuse safer for both addicts and the rest of society.
 
Legalize it or ban alcohol, nicotine as well.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
Marinol has massive side effects that natural cannabis does not. Even if we discount that, why should something in a natural form be illegal while the allegedly same chemicals produced in a lab by a company should be legal? Do you not see that the only reason for that is to protect corporate interests?

Secondly, so you're saying that someone who's taking a prescription to alleviate pain is perfectly fine, but someone who is taking the same exact thing with no pain should be locked in a cage? If I take prescription Prilosec for heartburn after a spicy meal, that's ok, but if I take it when I don't have heartburn I should be in jail? How can you justify a qualifier like that?

And lastly, don't act for a ****ing second like you haven't been vocally opposed to medical marijuana on here before.
Click to expand...


What "side effects"?
 
Amanda1858 said:
Marijuana is often a "gateway" drug to the harder stuff. For that reason alone it shouldn't be legalized.
Click to expand...
The Institute of Medicine and the American Medical Association both debunked that baseless myth over 10 years ago. Don't be deceived by the fact Obama's drug "czar" repeated this lie only a few months ago.
 
Amanda1858 said:
Ok, so we make all these drugs legal. The price will come down and more people will be able to afford it. Can you imagine how full the hospitals will be with overdoses and addicts who just don't know when to stop? The price will be reasonable so they will be able to get high more often. If you think the healthcare system is over whelmed now, just go ahead and legalize herion, meth, cocaine, marijuana etc.
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Do you drink alcohol because its legal? Do you smoke because its legal?
 
Your Star said:
Legalization of marijuana, and the legalization of other drugs are separate issues.

Now, you can't overdose on marijuana, it is not physically addictive, and the high it produces doesn't make people go crazy and go commit crimes. There are also no negative health consequences that can't be associated with other legal substances.

There is no reason for marijuana to be illegal.
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Exactly, and just because its legal doesn't mean everyone runs to buy pot. Its a choice, just like eating a dozen eggs every morning.
 
Fearandloathing said:
What "side effects"?
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It's anecdotal evidence, so it won't hold up in court. I've just heard nothing but bad things and bad effects from smokers who have tried to switch.

Let's say for a second there is no negative side effects. Why is it legal in pill form but not plant form? Why is the former a medicine while the latter is enough to get your ass locked in prison and have your life ruined? The ONLY reason is because the pharmaceutical industry lobbies our government to keep weed illegal. They need something they can patent. There is no other rational explanation for it. Marinol also doesn't have cannabinoids, so it won't work for people with seizures or for many other ailments. That means children with Davet's syndrome (who seizure hundreds of times a week) that live in a non-medical marijuana state, have no legal treatment for their condition.

Human beings have been smoking marijuana for 10,000 years, and there has yet to be a documented case of someone dying from it.
 
Your Star said:
Legalization of marijuana, and the legalization of other drugs are separate issues.

Now, you can't overdose on marijuana, it is not physically addictive, and the high it produces doesn't make people go crazy and go commit crimes. There are also no negative health consequences that can't be associated with other legal substances.

There is no reason for marijuana to be illegal.
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FINALLY!

Please have a look at this list of the most addictive substances. Marijuana is behind coffee, cigarettes and booze, all of which are legal.

onrecoverybasics.com/am-i-stupid-or-is-this-list-of-the-18-most-addictive-drugs-all-mixed-up/


The only major crime associated with marijuana involves gangs trying to control the market or steal from one another, remove that like with prohibition and it goes away. Meanwhile, the crime associated with the legal substance of alcohol is extremely high and the death rate from drug driving are huge
 
RabidAlpaca said:
Marinol has massive side effects that natural cannabis does not. Even if we discount that, why should something in a natural form be illegal while the allegedly same chemicals produced in a lab by a company should be legal? Do you not see that the only reason for that is to protect corporate interests?

Secondly, so you're saying that someone who's taking a prescription to alleviate pain is perfectly fine, but someone who is taking the same exact thing with no pain should be locked in a cage? If I take prescription Prilosec for heartburn after a spicy meal, that's ok, but if I take it when I don't have heartburn I should be in jail? How can you justify a qualifier like that?

And lastly, don't act for a ****ing second like you haven't been vocally opposed to medical marijuana on here before.
Click to expand...

Marionol doesn't have side effects. I've seen people who use it. They were just fine.
 
Binary_Digit said:
Why, because you think more people would start using heroin if it were made legal tomorrow? Would you go out and start using heroin if it were legalized tomorrow? So what makes you think so many other people will?

If it's cheaper, that means addicts are less inclined to steal your lawn furniture to get their next fix.

If it's legal, that means addicts aren't risking overdoses or injecting rat poison into themselves. Remember all those overdoses a few months back, due to extra-potent heroin being on the market? That wouldn't happen in a legal and regulated industry where the potency is controlled and displayed for the buyer's information. Not to mention the fact that addicts are 100x more inclined to come in for help when they know they won't be arrested for their drug use.

Then there's the fact that drugs like crack, synthetic marijuana, and bath salts would not exist if not for the War on Drugs. People keep trying to find new and cheap substances that aren't specifically controlled for in the laws, and these new substances end up being much worse than the original. The War on Drugs causes more problems than it solves (which it doesn't really solve any in the first place).

The legalization and regulation of all drugs would make drug abuse safer for both addicts and the rest of society.
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And you think herion is better than "rat poison"? I don't. Both will kill you.
 
Fearandloathing said:
What "side effects"?
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I don't have time to lookup a link, but one of the documented side effects of Marinol that smoked MJ doesn't have is skin rashes.

Then there's the fact that Marinol pills are prescribed to patients who suffer from nausea and have a hard time keeping anything down, much less the very pills intended to help the nausea. Marinol pills are counter-intuitive for chemo patients.
 
Amanda1858 said:
Marionol doesn't have side effects. I've seen people who use it. They were just fine.
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Are you ignoring the things I actually did write to you?

Why isn't my life ruined like you said it would be? Where are your statistics showing it's a gateway drug? Why isn't there a needle sticking out of my arm?
 
I'm sorry to be a contrarian here folks. It's just that I come from a family of substance abusers and I know first hand what it does to people. If it had been legal for my family members I'm sure they would have just died that much sooner. I will never vote to legalize marijuana or any other drug. I will now go away and leave you nice folks alone. Have a nice day.:2wave:
 
RabidAlpaca said:
Are you ignoring the things I actually did write to you?

Why isn't my life ruined like you said it would be? Where are your statistics showing it's a gateway drug? Why isn't there a needle sticking out of my arm?
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How do I know your life isn't ruined? Bye.:2wave:
 
I'd like to see it put into the same category as alcohol.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
It's anecdotal evidence, so it won't hold up in court. I've just heard nothing but bad things and bad effects from smokers who have tried to switch.

Let's say for a second there is no negative side effects. Why is it legal in pill form but not plant form? Why is the former a medicine while the latter is enough to get your ass locked in prison and have your life ruined? The ONLY reason is because the pharmaceutical industry lobbies our government to keep weed illegal. They need something they can patent. There is no other rational explanation for it. Marinol also doesn't have cannabinoids, so it won't work for people with seizures or for many other ailments. That means children with Davet's syndrome (who seizure hundreds of times a week) that live in a non-medical marijuana state, have no legal treatment for their condition.

Human beings have been smoking marijuana for 10,000 years, and there has yet to be a documented case of someone dying from it.
Click to expand...


I would kindly suggest in the future you are offering hearsay evidence, which can and does bear some weight if thee are specifics.

As a medical marijuana user, and done a lot of study, I know of no documented serious side effects other than high blood sugar for diabetics using the eaten form in candies and cakes, weight gain [as much loss as sativa suppresses hunger], sometimes a small rash when used as a topical in the treatment of eczema and skin cancer, warts and joint pain, and in cases with high tobacco use COPD. What IS being documented is where it is effective in the treatment of so many ailments both mental and physical, so much so there is a call here for cannabis patches like nicotine patches, the dispensary industry itself inventing alternative delivery systems. But then we have police, one a Royal Canadian Mounted Police constable who are being treated, the later having now been "asked" to not smoke in the official red serge uniform.

People have indeed been smoking cannabis for a long time...is there a documented case of anyone getting into a knife fight while stoned? Is there a documented case of anyone ever saying "I am ****ing ok to drive, give me my ****ing keys"?
 
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