NationStates Jolt Archive

Why do governments make marijuana illegal? Have they learned nothing from the US's stint with Prohibition in the early 20th century? If it weren't made illegal, then there would not be such an underground market for it. This is reminiscent of the rum runners and beer barons of old. If Amsterdam has no problems with it, then why should there be a stigma in society towards those who are users? If they do eventually legalize it, they should set the legal age of use to 18, just like cigarettes.

Why? Its called "stupidity", "ignorance" and "fear-mongering". Not neccesarily in that order.

Weed the cause and solution to all of america's problems.

Weed the cause and solution to all of america's problems.

*cough* Simpsons *cough*

I see no reason why it couldn't be legalised except that people would fear that Cannabis would lead to people using hard drugs. but tbh thats bullshit because alot of people i know who used weed never went onto harder drugs.

It's still *officially* illegal here in the UK, but in reality, you'd never get prosecuted for using it unless you had major quantities of it. I think at the very worst you'd get a warning. I have no particular feelings either way on the stuff, so I don't care whether it's legalised or not, but certainly I think hard drugs such as heroin and so on should stay illegal.

I have to assume it's illegal because of one out of two possible reasons:
1. Government agencies distribute it and reap massive profit due to the high profit margin of an illegal substance.

2. The War On Drugs essentially gives any law enforcement agency a blank check for funding, and removing the most common drug would significantly reduce the size of their gravy train.

I agree. Harder drugs than weed shouldn't be legal. Hard drugs are the drugs that make weed look so bad in society's eye.

I agree. Harder drugs than weed shouldn't be legal. Hard drugs are the drugs that make weed look so bad in society's eye.


Just as beer makes whisky look bad. :rolleyes:

Yes, I would Agree legalizing weed would be a good idea. It would cause gang violence to decrease becuase they will have one illegal less drug to sell, its production and vending could be taxed, it also could have quailty standards. anyway the more people that use weed, the better chance i would have i getting a better job becuase the people who do use weed( i wouldnt use it personaly) tend to lack the motivation for any real demanding(which are usauly high paying) jobs. THe tax revune could be pumped into rehab clinics and perhpas even schoolss if any money is left over.

Weed-funded schools....that's gold. However, it could be possible. Also the government could make weed safer. If the FDA controls the production, then there would be a sharp decrease in tainted weed. I believe that if it were legal, there wouldn't be the extreme ly aloof behavior of the so-called "pot-heads" it would resmeble what people do when they go to pubs and drink nowadays.

I think that the USA should legalize it too. But they won't, because it would be liberal and therefore evil, because no politician elected would ever, ever support that with enough force to push it through and because too many people think only dead end hippies smoke pot, the ones that want to corrupt the youth and kill god and that sort of thing.

Isn't that a damn shame? Why is it that popliticians themselves fear each other? What about Prohibition? There were politicians that knew of the problems caused by the act and they stepped forward to overturn the law. As long as there are those few maverick politicians in Washington, there is still hope for the legalization.

Legalize marijuana. Heck, legalize all drugs. I see no reason as to why the government has to prevent people from harming their own bodies.

Legalize all drugs. ALL drugs. People are allowed to hurt themselves otherwise, not the government's place to tell them they can't.

It's a cute argument and all, but keep in mind all the violence and crime that goes right along with drugs.

So you legalize it? Who's gonna distribute it? Are we just gonna go to Columbian druglords and say, oh you're a good guy now? Do you want drug companies making cocaine? Theres so many more tangents than just yes or no.

Just sayin

Legalize all drugs. ALL drugs. People are allowed to hurt themselves otherwise, not the government's place to tell them they can't.

Not to put you down for it, but I see we completely agree on this issue.

"the more people that use weed, the better chance i would have i getting a better job becuase the people who do use weed( i wouldnt use it personaly) tend to lack the motivation for any real demanding(which are usauly high paying) jobs"

There's the answer... legalizing weed would make us less competitive in the world market and the US would fall from power.

It's a cute argument and all, but keep in mind all the violence and crime that goes right along with drugs.

So you legalize it? Who's gonna distribute it? Are we just gonna go to Columbian druglords and say, oh you're a good guy now? Do you want drug companies making cocaine? Theres so many more tangents than just yes or no.

Just sayin

Who the hell goes to Columbia for weed? Hell, a lot of the best stuff in North America comes out of British Columbia, (or so I'm told....).

As to who's gonna distribute it....

http://members.rogers.com/zeppo_marx2/images/lj2004/pot_office.jpg

:D

this is like the abortion question..

i don't know how to treat this.. its all theory.. .. we should legalise drugs in one country to see how things work out before judging.. :)

It's a cute argument and all, but keep in mind all the violence and crime that goes right along with drugs.

So you legalize it? Who's gonna distribute it? Are we just gonna go to Columbian druglords and say, oh you're a good guy now? Do you want drug companies making cocaine? Theres so many more tangents than just yes or no.

Just sayin

People can get violent from alcohol too, yet that is legal...it's not the drug itself that causes violence but how it's used. I'm of the conviction that if a drug is controlled it doesn't have to cause extreme harm.

http://members.rogers.com/zeppo_marx2/images/lj2004/pot_office.jpg

:D

...and I guess you'd have to take the train to the "Pot Credit" Station (I wish I could find the picture, but for those of you who don't know about it, Ontario's inter-city transit system has a stop called "Port Credit", where someone- obviously- whited out the "r").

People are more likely to be caught in the "trap" when in the lower classes, meaning the smallest decision could eliminate any chance of a future. Using this logic, shouldn't we outlaw two substances that have caused at least twice as much deaths as weed ever had the potential for-- Alcohol and tobbacco? I realize that temperance didn't work last time, but we can at least make ridicuously restrictive measures for alcoholics to follow (no drinking outside of the hours 22-3 and inebriated people are not allowed into public areas--also, raise legal age to 25, and free rehab for alcoholics) and no smoking whatsoever, since it causes far too much death, even for many people who have never done it via secondhand smoke. Pot laws accomplish their real, hidden goal just perfectly-- to restrict use of the drug to private homes and keep intoxicated people away from the public.

It's a cute argument and all, but keep in mind all the violence and crime that goes right along with drugs.

So you legalize it? Who's gonna distribute it? Are we just gonna go to Columbian druglords and say, oh you're a good guy now? Do you want drug companies making cocaine? Theres so many more tangents than just yes or no.

Just sayin

I'm sure the free market forces would force them out of the market soon enough.

Pot laws accomplish their real, hidden goal just perfectly-- to restrict use of the drug to private homes and keep intoxicated people away from the public.

I'd much prefer to smoke at home, even if weed was legal. Despite that theres no real purpose served by keeping stoned people off the streets.

read the post above(or above, infallible man i am, hehe) about the sad,sad world we live in. Control freeaks: we live among a bunch of control freaks who obviously couldnt control a terd in a wet paper bag (themselves)so they start with something much bigger. another person. Whats even more funny is that i still love them even though they don't love themselves or any of us.

...and I guess you'd have to take the train to the "Pot Credit" Station (I wish I could find the picture, but for those of you who don't know about it, Ontario's inter-city transit system has a stop called "Port Credit", where someone- obviously- whited out the "r").


Yeah, there is a town on the outskirts of Ottawa called Stittsville. For some reason one of the "S"'s keeps getting removed from the sign....

i wrote this about the legalization issue in the US when i was a freshman in high school. its not put together very well and doesnt say as much as i'd say today but i lack the motivation these days to write.....


In case you haven't noticed, there has been a battle raging within our society over the legalization of marijuana, a mood altering drug that is usually either smoked or ingested. This drug is believed to have been first used by Native Americans in sacred rituals, and was first brought to modern America by Mexican immigrants in the early 1900's.
Pro-legalization campaigners have been pushing for legalization for medical use and decriminalization as stepping stones to eventual total recreational legalization. Decriminalization would mean that rather than jail time, if you were found to possess marijuana or paraphenilia, you would only receive a fine. As President Jimmy Carter has said, "Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use." Already in nine states across the nation is this drug legal or decriminalized for medical purposes, but it is a federal offense to possess marijuana, so these laws dont do much.
Anti-legalization campaigners say many things about marijuana that are either exaggerated, inaccurate, or just flat out untrue. For instance, did you know that the reason it was first prohibited in America in 1937 was because it was said to be a dangerous drug that causes uncontrollable violent acts and outbreaks of rage? The use of marijuana was looked down upon because it was well-known that the drug was brought to America and used by immigrants, who at the time were considered the dregs of society. The reasons for keeping it illegal today are, at least as a general rule, more logical. It has five times more carcinogens, or cancer-causing agents, than the weight equivalent of tobacco. Chronic use is said cause short-term memory loss, reduced sperm count and mobility, and is reputed to contribute to depression. It is reputed to be very addictive as well. Some say that one of the main reasons for the continued illegality of marijuana is not medical, but political. There are just too many conservative or religious voters who would frown upon the passing of a law making marijuana legal, and many votes would be lost for certain office candidates. People also say that marijuana is a drug that makes poeple compromise their morals and beliefs to get a "buzz", and that it is a gateway drug to much more dangerous drugs.
Marijuana does in fact have much more carcinogens, but you also reach the desired effect much more quickly, hence smoking less weed than tobacco. This means that even chronic smokers take in only about the amount of carcinogens as in a pack of cigarettes. Marijuana is not a drug that should be used excessively, as with most things in life. Too much alcohol has almost the same adverse effects on the brain( such as memory loss and depression) as marijuana does. No studies have shown that sperm count and mobility were reduced in occasional recreational smokers, although problems may arise from habitual excessive use. Some advocates of legalization even go so far to call marijuana 'the new kind of contraceptive', because it is possible to become sterile over many years of too much this substance. In comparison to alcohol, and especially tobacco, it is hardly addictive at all. Some may become psychologically addicted to the escape from reality that comes hand in hand with use of marijuana, but studies show that it is very difficult to actually become physically dependant upon it. One cannot ever die from overdosing on marijuana, like you can from alcohol. If you smoke or ingest too much, you will merely rid yourself of the euphoric effects, or 'smoke yourself straight', rather than pass out, go into shock, and need a stomach pump. Marijuana studies have never shown that use of 'harder' drugs is a direct result of the use of marijuana. Many people do believe that 'potheads' have lower moral standards and will stab you in the back just as soon as they would shake your hand, but again, this is generally not true. There is actually a set of four principals that most responsible users follow like a bible.

1. No Driving- the respoonsible marijuana consumer does not operate a motor vehicle or other dangerous machinery while impaired by marijuana, nor (like other responsible citizens ) while impaired by any other substance or condition, including some medicines and fatigue.
2. Set and Setting- The responsible marijuana user will carefully considere his/ her set and setting. "Set" refers to the consumers values, attitudes, experience, and personality, and ''setting'' means the consumer's physical and social circumstances. The responsible marijuana consumer will be vigilant as to the conditions --time, place, mood, etc. -- and does not hesitate to say '' no'' when those conditions are not conducive to a safe, pleasant, and/ or productive experience.
3. Resist Abuse- Use of marijuana, to the extent that it impairs health, personal development or acheivement, is abuse, to be resisted by responsible marijuana users. This is true with all drugs, even alcohol.
4. Respect the Rights of Others- The responsible marijuana user does not violate the rights of others, observes accepted standards of courtesy and bublic propriety, and respects the preferences of those who wish to avoid marijuana entirely

Not all users of marijuana follow this code, in fact, some of them coud be described with the aforementioned nasty insult, but these are the exceptions to the rule rather than the rule itself. Contrary to most people's beliefs, not all smokers are lower class welfare 'moochers' whose lives revolve around 'catching a buzz'. A lot of users are in fact corporate executives, politicians, and even government officials who use to unwind after a long week of work, much like people enjoy a nice cold beer. If one were to make a venn diagram comparing the pros and cons of marijuana and those of tobacco and alcohol, one would be surprised to see how beneficial 'pot' can be, versus its relatively few and minor consequences, most of which are a result of only irresponsible use.
Marijuana is commonly used among those suffering from AIDS and certain types of cancers to increase appetites, suppress nausea, and sometimes just to get away from the dreariness of being terminally ill. Not only are there medical benefits to this drug, there are also recreational benefits. It is widely believed that marijuana can sometimes spark creativity in a user. For example, some say they write better music or are more artistic when they are under the influence. Some people say it helps them get in touch with the spiritual side of themselves. It brings a child-like sense of wonder and amazement into everything you experience when you are ''high''. A simple thing like a fly strip covered with insects can set one off into a fit of giggling.
Like any drug, it should not be overused or abused. I am by no means an advocate of outright unrestricted legalization, allowing one to buy and sell marijuana as if it were packs of baseball cards. Like tobacco and alcohol, one should be required to be of a certain age to buy and use it, and one would need a permit to grow or distribute it. There would, of course, also be laws against driving while under the influence, and similar restrictions. But it should be legal. It is a mostly beneficial drug, especially when compared to other drugs, even alcohol, which is already legal. It is a very fun drug to use recreationally and responsibly, and for all of those who read this article and do not think marijuana should be legal, I ask you to at least take a moment to ponder what has been said here, and reconsider your position.



....lol. comments, anyone? dont dis me too hard, im frizzagile.

there's way more reason for alcohol to be illegal than for pot to be illegal...but the government really has no business with either so just legalize everything.

Why do governments make marijuana illegal? Have they learned nothing from the US's stint with Prohibition in the early 20th century? If it weren't made illegal, then there would not be such an underground market for it. This is reminiscent of the rum runners and beer barons of old. If Amsterdam has no problems with it, then why should there be a stigma in society towards those who are users? If they do eventually legalize it, they should set the legal age of use to 18, just like cigarettes.
because they probably make a crapload off of getting paid off not to make it legal

Why do governments make marijuana illegal? .

Because politicians get more votes from keeping it illegal than they would by trying to legalize it.

A world without prohibition is a better world... I see no need for creating laws to reduce drug addiction... it's every person's problem what drugs do or do not do to them...

If countries want to eliminate drugs they should stick to anti-drug campaigns... just to let people know the bad consequences of using them... but with repression nothing can be accomplised. PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOSE if they like or dislike drugs.

And about cannabis... i know lots of people who have smoked for long and never "upgraded" to strong drugs

Personally I thought the hemp plant was used to make really cool looking pants that Woody Harilsson (however you spell it) wears...

Yeah, there is a town on the outskirts of Ottawa called Stittsville. For some reason one of the "S"'s keeps getting removed from the sign....

Is Stittsville a nice area (I've never been up there, though I've been to downtown Ottawa)? Because Port Credit is lovely.

this is like the abortion question..

i don't know how to treat this.. its all theory.. .. we should legalise drugs in one country to see how things work out before judging.. :)
Like, let's say, a small progressive European country where you buy it in a cafe?

Matijuana should be legalised for the simple fact that hemp (it's virtually non-THC cousin) has such an incredible range of uses:
Paper, textiles, building materials, food, medicine, paint, detergent, varnish, oil, ink, and fuel.
To name a few. It doesn't require fertiliser or pesticides, adds nitrogen to the soil and you can get two crops a year from the same land without any damage or loss of nutrients to the soil.

Personally I thought the hemp plant was used to make really cool looking pants that Woody Harilsson (however you spell it) wears...
The first Levi Jeans were made from Hemp - it's softer, yet stronger than cotton. And it's better for the environment. Cotton production in the US uses up HALF of the total pesticides used in farming. And cotton seriously reduces the soil nitrogen content.
And it's spelt Harrelson, btw.

Yes, legalize it. Sell it out of government sanctioned shops and tax it.

Increase penalties for hard drugs and non-sanctioned marijuana.