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Should weed be legalized?

Should weed be legalized in the US?

  • Yes, Weed should be legalized in the US.

    Votes: 50 89.3%

  • No, Weed should not be legalized in the US.

    Votes: 6 10.7%

  • Weed should be legalized for those whose religious beliefs dictate otherwise (like Rasta's).

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    56
My preference is that all drugs be decriminalized on the Fedral level. And any ban, if there must be one, be held on the State level. Failing that just let pog go legal. In addition to the benifits that others have brought up do not forget hemp would be a good cash crop if only we would not have the federal goverment being paranoid about secrect batches. Also the federal goverment would have one less reason to monitor the energy consuption of our homes.
 
To maybe step slightly farther out of the box is it maybe time to consider looking at the legalizing of all drugs. I don't see that this would be so awful. How many people have done or do drugs. Weed should definitely be made legal it is not a societal problem.
 
I think it should be legalized, but there needs to be some restrictions on where it can be used (like not at public schools, or places where children are). I figure marijuana is always going to be around whether we like it or not, and police could spend their time doing better things then sniffing around for crackheads.
 
If I can grow in my backyard it should be legal for me to do so.
 
Hatuey said:
Modifiedmurderchart.gif
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I hate when people use this chart. Look at the upswings - both clearly start before the periods of prohibition start, and currently the rate is right back where it was at the start. I'm in agreement with your opinions, but this chart is bad evidence
 
Redress said:
This will be unpopular, but to me it's just not worth the effort that legalizing it would be. There is no compelling reason that I can see to legalize it, and out of all the issues that I think face the country and need attention, it is about the least of those issues.

Note, it would not bother me in the least if it was legalized. My argument is not that weed is bad(it is, but that is not the argument), only that the time it would take politicians to do it would be better spent elsewhere.
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Aside from health care, I can't think of any domestic policy that needs more attention than the devastating war on drugs. Legalizing drugs would be an easy way to have a HUGE impact on alleviating poverty without any new social programs...in fact, it would ADD revenue to the state coffers if it was taxed.
 
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Kandahar said:
Aside from health care, I can't think of any domestic policy that needs more attention than the devastating war on drugs. Legalizing drugs would be an easy way to have a HUGE impact on alleviating poverty without any new social programs...in fact, it would ADD revenue to the state coffers if it was taxed.
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Just think about the court costs that would be saved. Not to mention the cash that would be saved on public defenders and prisons. And Doritos as well as Klondike Bars would see their profits rise.
 
Kandahar said:
Aside from health care, I can't think of any domestic policy that needs more attention than the devastating war on drugs. Legalizing drugs would be an easy way to have a HUGE impact on alleviating poverty without any new social programs...in fact, it would ADD revenue to the state coffers if it was taxed.
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My list of more important issues:
1: Fixing the economy and putting any new regulations in place to prevent another meltdown like the one currently
2: fixing health care and insurance
3: fixing social security
4: balancing the budget
5: another overhaul of the military. They are needed from time to time for efficiencies sake. Note this does not mean reducing the military, or cutting the military budget, but going over every aspect of the military and finding ways to improve...this should be done every 20 years minimum.
6: create as comprehensive a set of laws as possible dealing with prisoners and how they can be treated, and how they can be tried, and so on.
7: find a sure way to get out of Iraq.
8: win in Afghanistan
9: go over all of our trade agreements and make sure they are fair and in our best interest.

Note, I can think of more that I personally think are more important than legalizing weed. From my viewpoint, I just don't think it is worth the time to change currently. I knew this viewpoint would be unpopular, but it's unlikely to change.
 
The war on drugs is mostly to save face in a social way. It attempts to convince the public that drugs are bad and we don't like them, yet it denies the reality that North America is a drug addicted population. Whether it's coffee, weed, alcohol, over the counter medications, prescription drugs, etc... most people have some kind of vice. We might as well admit that the majority are on something, and stop punishing people according to some idealism.

The same goes for prostitution laws. We outlaw it to convince ourselves it's beneath us, yet the rich and poor alike use such services. Why not just admit this reality of our nature?
 
Redress said:
My list of more important issues:
1: Fixing the economy and putting any new regulations in place to prevent another meltdown like the one currently
.
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That will never happen. No matter the regulation people are going to find creative ways around them. Any system is only as good as the people involved. Personally I think the stock market and the forex system are antiquated of financing industry. And in the electronic trend of capital I do not think it is good for Visa MasterCard to take over the transference of funds.
 
winston53660 said:
That will never happen. No matter the regulation people are going to find creative ways around them. Any system is only as good as the people involved. Personally I think the stock market and the forex system are antiquated of financing industry. And in the electronic trend of capital I do not think it is good for Visa MasterCard to take over the transference of funds.
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Possibly true, I dunno for sure. I suspect it can be better than currently.
 
kaya'08 said:
The debate on legalizing weed in the White House continues...but would this be a good idea? Could it prompt further debate on the legalization of other class C drugs? Why should weed be made acceptable and other class C drugs not? Would this be a good idea for a productive work force in the US?

Share your opinions.
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I'm not a smoker, but imo as long as tobacco is going to be legal, weed may as well be also.

I think you should have to be 21 to buy, with regulations and penalties smiler to alcohol. All smoking bans apply to smoking weed, all plant growing limitations, license requirements and smiler that apply to growing tobacco also apply to weed.

Questions for law enforcement out there:
  • What tests could be used to determine if someone is too high to drive?
  • How is the chemical measured?
  • What should be the legal limit for driving?
 
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Kandahar said:
Aside from health care, I can't think of any domestic policy that needs more attention than the devastating war on drugs. Legalizing drugs would be an easy way to have a HUGE impact on alleviating poverty without any new social programs...in fact, it would ADD revenue to the state coffers if it was taxed.
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Yes it would be taxed and it would do good things for the states. It would help with drug abused problems as well. I think that it should be legal as soon as we get a chance.
 
Redress said:
My list of more important issues:
1: Fixing the economy and putting any new regulations in place to prevent another meltdown like the one currently
2: fixing health care and insurance
3: fixing social security
4: balancing the budget
5: another overhaul of the military. They are needed from time to time for efficiencies sake. Note this does not mean reducing the military, or cutting the military budget, but going over every aspect of the military and finding ways to improve...this should be done every 20 years minimum.
6: create as comprehensive a set of laws as possible dealing with prisoners and how they can be treated, and how they can be tried, and so on.
7: find a sure way to get out of Iraq.
8: win in Afghanistan
9: go over all of our trade agreements and make sure they are fair and in our best interest.

Note, I can think of more that I personally think are more important than legalizing weed. From my viewpoint, I just don't think it is worth the time to change currently. I knew this viewpoint would be unpopular, but it's unlikely to change.
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Actually that is a good reason of why it SHOULD be legalized, we cannot afford to continue prohibition which does nothing! Here in California Arnold is saying that if we don't pass his poorly written budget propositions that he is going to have to cut, firefighters and public education. Why not go after the out of control prison industrial complex, Anrie? I bet you could cut a few million out of it. There's plenty of small time white collar offenders, and nonviolent drug offenders being housed their at tax payer's expense. Considering that it costs 40,000 a head to house them, maybe their crime should reflect that dollar amount, if not restitution to the victim and/or community service.
 
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Thoreau said:
Actually that is a good reason of why it SHOULD be legalized, we cannot afford to continue prohibition which does nothing! Here in California Arnold is saying that if we don't pass his poorly written budget propositions that he is going to have to cut, firefighters and public education. Why not go after the out of control prison industrial complex, Anrie? I bet you could cut a few million out of it. There's plenty of small time white collar offenders, and nonviolent drug offenders being housed their at tax payer's expense. Considering that it costs 40,000 a head to house them, maybe their crime should reflect that dollar amount, if not restitution to the victim and/or community service.
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I have a fundamental problem with legalizing something just so we can increase government spending.
 
Jerry said:
I have a fundamental problem with legalizing something just so we can increase government spending.
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Yeah, I get that argument but I don't see the sense of funding a policy that has proven to be an expensive utter failure, in the middle of a budget crisis.

Heck possession is still a criminal misdemeanor here, they could cut court costs just be decriminalizing it.
 
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Jerry said:
I have a fundamental problem with legalizing something just so we can increase government spending.
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I think the point is that it will bring more money into government coffers if it is legalized and taxed. What the money is actually used for - more government spending, deficit reduction, or tax cuts elsewhere - is a separate issue.
 
Jerry said:
I have a fundamental problem with legalizing something just so we can increase government spending.
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Why, do you have a problem with governmental :roll: spending as quickly as they can get it printed. :shock: I have no idea why that would be?;) hehehehe
 
Thoreau said:
Yeah, I get that argument but I don't see the sense of funding a policy that has proven to be an expensive utter failure, in the middle of a budget crisis.

Heck possession is still a criminal misdemeanor here, they could cut court costs just be decriminalizing it.
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Society would be far more mellow as well. No more bar brawls they would just sit out side and spark a bowl and chill.
 
Inferno said:
Society would be far more mellow as well. No more bar brawls they would just sit out side and spark a bowl and chill.
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Proponent of the peace pipe I see!:mrgreen:
 
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