Do you think marijuana should be legal? (revolution, lobbyist, lobby)

[danielpalos]

I think we could be saving $60 billion a year, minimum by decriminalizing pot. Legalizing recreational drugs could generate more revenue that could offset more invasive personal income taxation; and, could generate sufficient research and development revenue for the private sector to enable more and better products for the consumer (e.g. stds, allergies, asthma, bad complexion, etc.)

[sindey]

I think we should give the current administration all that they want!

[danielpalos]

I think reeferless madness is worse than reefer madness.

[StillwaterTownie]

You can say that again or breath in again.

[PlanterJ]

Originally Posted by Skytripper

I AGREE with you Tinman.....but either way you wish to acknowledge it or not......marijuana IS HERE to STAY....LEGAL or NOT....and its illegality does not prevent anybody from using it.
I AGREE with you too......that working with potheads is more dangerous than working with someone who is not under the influence of anything......and should NOT be tolerated on the job or before work....anymore than drinking before work or on the job!
The FACT is that there ARE plenty of other LEGAL drugs that people already take.....prescription and non-prescription, cold / allergy medications, etc. that do AFFECT a person in such a way as marijuana can.....HOW can you legislate THAT? Anyone at work CAN and DO.....come to work affected by all kinds of medications on a regular basis.....legally...in most cases.....and their job performance and the safety of everyone working with them is at stake......but people NEED to work and cannot afford to stay home every time they have a cold or allergy or headache....so they TAKE A DRUG....a LEGAL one....that often have MANY side effects associated with.....and go to WORK........hoping to just make it through the day.....and without it affecting their performance. If a person chooses to smoke pot OFF the job, on their OWN time, in the comfort of their home.....that SHOULD BE LEGAL and THEIR OWN damn business!
Whether or not marijuana is ever legal in America......NO DOUBT....IF a person is found to be under its influence on the job......FIRE them on the spot! Unless this person is employed as a creative artist or writer.....works independently, most likely....and has a job that in NO way jeopardizes the safety and well being of anyone around them.....fine! I suppose.....smoke a joint if you want. NOT an airline pilot.....anymore than another pilot racking up a HUGE bar tab....a few short hours before arriving at the airport to fly a plane full of passengers!
YES.....our society has a HUGE alcohol problem and binge drinking IS WORSE than ever.....and I HATE drunks and all the advertising during football or ? always depicting the "good times" associated with having beers with friends.....KNOWING that there ARE a LOT of people out driving after drinking, causing the deaths of at least 15,000 Americans each year, domestic assaults, rapes, robberies, etc. etc. ALL or MOST......committed while the person was DRUNK....not HIGH on POT!
I believe marijuana IS a GREAT alternative to drinking alcohol for its benefits, socializing, watching movies, playing games, relaxing.....NOT having any "blackouts", hangovers or such a major loss of judgment and/or self control that IS TOO easy to happen drinking!
POT IS FAR BETTER AND SAFER THAN ALCOHOL and that IS a FACT........but IT too.......still NEEDS to be treated with respect and in moderation.....RESPONSIBLY and FOR ADULTS.
Sorry you disagree.
I no longer bother with it.....mainly because of the expense....AND that I DON'T like MOST people I would have to go to to get it (especially IF I don't really KNOW them).......BECAUSE....you ARE RIGHT.....they generally ARE also the same people who associate with people or themselves ARE....into HARD DRUGS.......and THOSE people ARE LOSERS who you don't EVER want to trust!
Been there, done that and I, personally......am HAPPY to be far away from the whole scene these days......and KNOW it IS just NOT WORTH IT!
This said though.......the plant....marijuana....IN and of ITSELF.......is NOT the bad guy here.....just the fact that it IS in the same ballpark with all the REAL CRAP out there and the WORST kind of PEOPLE ARE also there too is sad!
This doesn't change the fact that I have known some of the nicest, kindest and caring people in the WORLD though.....who just happen to smoke a little pot now and then.
Just like there are also very nice and decent people who DRINK now and then......there ARE also the WORST people in the world who also drink!
Marijuana use and the effect that IT causes by itself......IS just NOT worth being a criminal act, illegal for ADULTS and worthy of jail.....and CERTAINLY NOT WORTH SPENDING BILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS year after year to "try" and prevent its use when it IS EVERYWHERE and readily available at ALL times to ANYONE who wants it.
Sorry....but the demand for it is HUGE with at least 50 million regular users in this country......so, IMO.....the market and demand are such that it may as well be LEGAL, taxed, regulated and distributed.......REMOVED from the black market entirely.....once and for all!
Besides......in legalizing it.....MAYBE that could free up more law enforcemaent and jail space to all the cocaine traffickers, meth cooks and child molesters out there!
Potheads DON'T NEED punishment......just food, beverages, a good movie, some tunes and a video game.....along with a comfortable couch.
Wanna make a potsmoker cry? Take his bag and his bong away ........almost worse than jail.

Wow nicely worded Sky !! I agree with u man, My whole Family Smokes. Mom, dad,me,bro. I kid u not, i have a family thats real close.They always been able 2 support me in neway possible, Both $@. Will also add they worked for everything we got, Wasn't born with a silver spoon up my Ass. Ne ways just aggravating cn al this bs about Marijuana,info commercials ahhh. I Can show u 2 this day all of my Dads budddys that still drink,took pills,or w/e. My dad still looks 15 years younger than he is. But his ole buddys that were drunks have either died,have troble talking, walking,And are just not right . Isn't that just "something else" when all the above are legal . Soo Pathetic

[PG77]

If alcohol is legal, than marijuana should be legal. Alcohol has taken probably more lives than marijuana ever has. However, alcohol will never be illegal because they can tax it. Anyone can grow marijuana in a field and they cannot control it. That is why it is illegal because they can't tax it.

[whatnamecanido]

Exactly what PG77 said.

Cigarettes and Alcohol are more dangerous in marijuana, so either make them all illegal or make marijuana legal. Don't be hypocrites.

Also, another reason they won't make it legal because it can help many medical problems..like some depression and aniexity. God forbid, you can take these things as needed for a few dollars, instead of paying a hundred for some overpriced perscription. Another reason that it should be legal when the health care system is so horrid and people can't afford to go to doctors or buy medicine, if something works, then we should be allowed to have it.

I have depression and I couldn't find any place that would be willing to help me out as a low-income. I won't get into details..

but I did find out that if I smoked marijuana (AS NEEDED, when i got to my LOW LOWs) it actually helped. I could make 5-10 worth of a weed last MONTHS, and it helped surpress the severe depression bouts. However, I couldn't continue doing that, because of job drug testing, so I have to just deal with suicidal thoughts and hatred for others...while the health care industry won't help me, and makes a killing off of people who have the money to waste medicine that costs 1/4 of the price they are paying (if not more)

[whatnamecanido]

We are a democracy, are we not? I still don't understand why they don't let the PEOPLE vote on this issue. We all had the chance to vote on "GAY MARRIAGE", so why won't they let us make our own decisions on this issue?

[Terryj]

Marijuana should be legal, but it should be regulated and taxed just like alcohol and cigarettes. As for marijuana not being as harmful as cigarettes, your fooling yourself. Any time you put smoke into your lungs it is harmful, marijuana users inhale deeper and hold it longer than people who smoke cigarettes, therefore, about 5 times more tar from smoking one joint is deposited in the lungs than you get from smoking one cigarette. Chronic pot smokers suffer from the same affects as chronic cigarette smokers, mainly COPD. But, its your lungs do with them as you wish.

[NVplumber]

Originally Posted by PG77

If alcohol is legal, than marijuana should be legal. Alcohol has taken probably more lives than marijuana ever has. However, alcohol will never be illegal because they can tax it. Anyone can grow marijuana in a field and they cannot control it. That is why it is illegal because they can't tax it.

Right on the money! I can't think of ever hearing about someone going of and beating up their wife because they had been smoking pot. Alcohol can't say that. Basically the only thing in danger from a person smoking a little weed is the leftovers in the fridge. Plus there are no painful physical effects (hangovers, blood alcohol poisoning, etc) from the use of pot. I won't say that is totally harmless but it certainly does not have the negative effect that alcohol does. Nor is it physically addictive causing people to forsake all else in search of the next toke.