Marijuana Should be Legalized

[michellebrown48]

Let's assume laws under legalization would make pot similar to alcohol (21 age limit, no driving under the influence, etc.)

1. Other Substances

Alcohol impairs you more, yet is legal. Cigarettes offer all of the same health concerns but offer no significant benefit (high) and most cigarette smokers smoke more than marijuana users on a daily basis. Also, marijuana has been medically proven to be non-habit-forming, unlike cigarettes and alcohol.

2. Tax Revenue

The government could tax and regulate the marijuana industry, generating state revenue at a time when it is needed. Also, the birth of a high demand industry would foster jobs and economic growth.

3. Criminals

With the ever-growing popularity of marijuana, middle-class people who are not drug or street savvy are having to deal with dangerous people and frequent the more suspect areas of town to procure their product. Legalization would stop this. Also, legalization takes away a large portion of criminal funds, without the cost of policing. By offering the legal sale of marijuana, the criminal organizations who deal it now are out that revenue.

4. Quality

The medical purposes of marijuana (while they may be suspect) would be improved with improved quality. If people are able to grow it freely, it can be privatized professionally and developed at lower cost and higher quality yield.

5. Civil Liberties

The political history of marijuana is suspect. Many believe it was outlawed under false pretences. Also, in a free country, a citizen should be able to indulge/harm themselves in any way they see fit as long as they do not infringe upon or danger the rights of others. While other harder substances may offer this risk, the private consumption of marijuana doesn't.

Post objections and opinions below, I'll be sure to answer them

[QuestionMan]

My opinion has changed from keeping it illegal, to legalizing it and now I'm on the fence between legalization and decriminalization.
The one thing that hasn't changed is my belief that recreational use is degenerate.
People shouldn't go to jail or be fined for degenerate behaviour that doesn't impact others. So long as they smoke far enough away from me and by legalizing it, the drug no longer has that rebellious allure then I see legalization as a win.

The only possible issue with legalization is that it allows governments to create a monopoly and doesn't resolve the issue with the black market while decriminalization would turn these drug dealers into businessmen whose business practices would be out in the open.

[TheButterfly]

Can we please get the legal drinking age lowered to 18 as well? I mean seriously 3 extra years is ridiculous considering I am able to take out thousands upon thousands of dollars out in student loan debt can't I at least drown my sadness in a little booze?

[goaded]

Decriminalisation (iirc legalisation is impossible because of treaties with the USA) of drugs, in July 2001, has been very successful in Portugal.

Since then: "The United States drug policy failed spectacularly, with about as many Americans dying last year of overdoses — around 64,000 — as were killed in the Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq Wars combined.

"In contrast, Portugal may be winning the war on drugs — by ending it. Today, the Health Ministry estimates that only about 25,000 Portuguese use heroin, down from 100,000 when the policy began.

"The number of Portuguese dying from overdoses plunged more than 85 percent before rising a bit in the aftermath of the European economic crisis of recent years. Even so, Portugal’s drug mortality rate is the lowest in Western Europe — one-tenth the rate of Britain or Denmark — and about one-fiftieth the latest number for the U. S."

www.nytimes.com/.../...drug-decriminalization.html

[Political_dude]

Marijuana Shouldn't be Legalized ↗

[michellebrown48]

Marijuana Should be Legalized (Part 2) ↗

[michellebrown48]

i hope part 2 doesn't get featured, it'll make me sound annoying. i just couldnt help but reply lol

[Wolframium]

As a guy, who hates all of these substances: Yes, it should. It’s not about the substance, it’s about the people. Do you want to ban something? Change human nature, so people don’t want it anymore. You don’t even have to make it legally banned. But that involves changing brain of EVERY SINGLE person. Good luck with that. Because new people are born all the time, so…yeah.
I am for personal freedom. Unless it has negative impact. This…just doesn’t. Hell, legalize heroin and cocaine. And all of those things. If people want to kill themselves using these things, just let them. Think about it as a filter.

[sovetskii13]

Invest in marijuana stocks while most of them are still pretty cheap. During the summer and the future the industry will boom. Canada is set to full legalization in July, 2018. That's when things will really take off. If you wanna make tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in the next few years, invest now. Buy Canadian stocks for now. It's your safest bet. Stay away from the US because there are several roadblocks and uncertainties.

[Futron]

I've always wondered why it wasn't legalized. They can sell bongs at stores but no marijuana?
I would never smoke it, but I still feel strongly about it. Tobacco and alcohol are worse for you and habit-forming. It would be helpful and safer for users, since the product can be regulated. Hemp could be a big industry, not just for smoking-for lotions, medicines, and baking.

[Espolare2000]

It should be legalised due to the massive of waste of money required to prosecute and jail people for enjoying themselves. Then there's the billions that fund huge drug and criminal empires. Of course if legal goverments would tax the shit out of it.

[Kevinnnn]

Think about it.
Drugs are the WORST thing this planet has.
It destroys your body and makes you addictive.
That good feeling is VERY short, just a few seconds, because the drug observes the vitamins immedietly.
After that you feel very bad, because the drugs. destroy your body.
You get addictive to that very short, good feeling you had so you take more and more drugs until you die or stop.

That's why drugs are the worst thing ever and why they shouldn't be legalliced.

[michellebrown48]

thats totally why cigarettes and alcohol are legal too

[Kevinnnn]

And it's bad.
I guess that it's not that much fun to die.

[SnowHearth]

Mariguana was made illegal because supposedly it made "white" woman go after "black" men during the segregation era... and soon many countries followed the action without even trying to find the real reason... something really stupid

Fake investigation/reseach results were even made.

The real reason for it being baned was racism/discrimination... that's why I support to making it legal as it was before.

[bloodmountain1990]

Agreed. Plus it shouldn’t get people fired or keep them from getting jobs. If they’re showing up to work high then yes, but just like with people showing up to work drunk.

I’d much rather buy weed legally and pay sales tax than buy it illegally and get a ticket/fine.

It’s been decriminalized here in Illinois which is a step in the right direction, but our state could definitely use it considering how bankrupt we are.

[CaliGirly96]

Agree with all of your points. You are better than the guy who hates weed lol

[michellebrown48]

thank you haha

[MidnightCowboy]

Anyone who hates people using marjiuana=They hate social freedom and money

It's not my right telling people what they should and should not put in their on the body.

[MidnightCowboy]

*into their body

[Anonymous]

Legalize and tax it like alcohol, after all people are going to do it regardless of government letting them. Let's have places they can get it where there won't be a drug dealer involved, cutting other drugs into it.

[LesbianBusinessWoman]

I agree with all of your points. Plus, saving tax dollars by not throwing people behind bars for smoking marijuana

[JenSCDC]

Not to mention that law enforcement resources currently being used against it could be better deployed against dangerous drugs.

[coachTanthony]

It's a plant that grows in the ground... so absurd that it's not legalized. I can buy all the alcohol and coffee that I want though LOL

[bloodmountain1990]

Not to mention it’s non habit forming. I’ve had way more issues with cigarettes than weed by a LONG shot.

[just_tired]

Good take! I would add to the criminal portion, it would reduce the prison population and number of repeat offenders that it creates.

[bloodmountain1990]

Yeah the war on drugs has been a failure, even with the hard drugs that are bad for you. I think weed should be legalized but heroin, meth, etc should stay illegal. It’s just a person using, and using only not dealing, heroin, cocaine, etc should go to rehab instead of prison, especially if they’re a nonviolent offender.

[just_tired]

Yeah, absolutely agree. The use of drugs should only result in rehab. Only selling or holding large quantities should result in jail time.

[GracefulCharm]

We should make alcohol illegal and replace it with marijuana. I can bet you that police have never had problems with a suspect who was high on marijuana, but they have had problems with suspect's who were drunk off alcohol.

[zagor]

It just got legalized here, so we'll see how it goes...

[zagor]

Although everyone I know who uses it has had no problem getting it. Especially since "medical" marijuana became a thing; the cards were a joke to get.

[FatherJack]

Agreed... it was only illegal to keep Big Pharma in even bigger profits... alcohol KILLS... ganja does not !!

[Goochbreaker]

fuck all this, government eat a dick i can do w/e i want and i don't need permission

[Josht13]

not an argument

[Goochbreaker]

@Josht13 there is no law, the only law is natural law, government law only has weight if it is based in natural law. I perceive no authority other than natural law. Government can pretend it owns everything but it doesn't own shit, not me, not you, not any of this unless we let it. I don't need permission for what I put in my own body assuming I'm not violating anyone else's natural law rights. Also, I don't recall anyone saying an argument was required here, this is not a stefan molyneux video :P

[Josht13]

not an argument

[Goochbreaker]

@Josht13 lol funny guy. You think you are stef? You are not Stef... Stef understands that the burden of an argument rests not with me, but with the institution trying to govern me. The burden of an argument rests with you, if you disagree with my position. Tell me, why should someone else get to tell me what I am allowed to consume into my body? I can legally consume poison, can I not? Let's hear your argument

[Josht13]

that's not an argument for me to present an argument

[Goochbreaker]

@Josht13 LOL okay im laughing now well done sir

[Goochbreaker]

@Josht13 well played