Legalize Marijuana
February 24th, 2008You’re at a family reunion. You’re having a great time. Suddenly, you hear shouting in the other room. You go to check out what the fuss is all about and you see Uncle Jim on the floor being restrained by three of your relatives. You recognize another guy being helped by several people you don’t know. He’s bleeding. You immediately know what happened.
Quick quiz, folks. Was Uncle Jim drunk or stoned?
I’m not even going to answer that because I know you know the answer.
Marijuana is a drug. It’s not good for you. It goes into your lungs and anything you stick into your lungs can’t be good for you. Regardless, people on marijuana are not trouble makers.
Jim is not an asshole when he drinks. Jim’s an asshole and it takes drinking to see his real side. Now, when Jim gets stoned, he’s mellow. We’d all much rather see Jim get stoned than drunk.
Marijuana is a gateway drug
No it’s not. Do the research yourself. Survey after survey has shown that people try cocaine, heroin, or meth for the first time not when they’re stoned but when they’re drinking. If anything, alcohol is the gateway drug. Of course, I’m not against drinking either, but showing the absurdity of the statement.
Marijuana makes you lazy
Well, no shit, Einstein. I’d prefer that young people don’t smoke pot and I tell my son about drugs all the time, using people we know as examples. But then again, that’s a central part of my beliefs. You, not me, and especially not the government, make the decision about what is best for you. You, not me, and especially not the government should be raising your kids to do the right thing.
I know more than a few people who are lazy who smoke pot. Guess what? They never had an ambition to begin with. Sure, marijuana makes it worse, but these guys weren’t go-getters from the start. If you took away their history of pot, I guarantee you they’ll be wasting their time and money on some other stupid thing.
Marijuana has medicinal value
And this I agree with. It’s good for glaucoma, but where it really shines is for cancer patients. I’ve heard a lot about cancer patients and how they lose their appetites, and how marijuana helps them eat. That is a good thing. And why are we preventing people with cancer from smoking pot anyways? Come on, they got cancer for God’s sake. Give them a freaking break.
Summary
All in all, marijuana should be a State decision, not Federal. This is another clear violation of the Tenth Amendment. California, Hawaii, Florida, and if I’m not mistaken Arizona have voted to legalize marijuana for medicinal use, but they keep getting harassed by the Feds. Where are the States’ Rights folks when you need them?
Marijuana does not cause violence. In fact, people mellow out when they’re on it. For that reason alone, I’d rather people do marijuana than other things. You hear about marijuana making the roads more dangerous but the fact is people who are stoned know they’re stoned and know they have no business being on the road. Drunks on the other hand…
It stinks. Literally. If it’s legal. does that mean that kids can smoke it when they are 10, 11, 12 etc? When do you start? IStill I think they ought to run after the dealers of any drug, not the users. I never had any desire to smoke marijuana or drink or smoke. I have many friends who smoke marijuana and they pass it around. It’s very unhygenic.
Slaughter on the highways would increase tremendously - If you think DUI’s are high now just add millions of potheads to the highways and see what happens - more deaths, injuries as well as increases in my Auto & medical insurances!
Marijuana has been illegal too long and society’s opinion of it has been mistakingly skewed for so long that if you legalized it now, the country wouldnt adapt successfully. I’m an expatriate living in Holland and of course, Amsterdam is well known for its tolerance of the drug, but that’s because they’re educated about it and the media doesnt make it seem illicit or corrupt. They’ve (including kids) have been educated about it and have coexisted with it for years, making it a part of their society. The US is too far gone if you ask me…..though I support cannabis in its entirety.
I’ve been a Police Officer for 24 + years and have worked Metro Narcotics. Having extensive knowledge of both alcohol and marijuana in respect to thier affect on society, I would much rather deal with someone on the street that has smoked marijuana than with someone who is grossly intoxicated. Thinking back on all the injuries I have sustained over the years, I can’t think of ANY instance in which I have had to fight someone based solely on the fact that they were high as opposed to being drunk. Replying to Ces: Educate your kids in the use of marijuana (empathizing the fact that i’ts illegal!) in the same matter as you would regarding smoking, alcohol, and sex. I am not advocating the use of marijuana. It IS illegal folks. In addition you might want to inform them that there is no double jepordy. In addition to criminal charges they can be expelled from high school and would be ineligible for any college scholarship. Tack on the fact that this generates a criminal record that any future employor would have access to. For life.
ZS - Some good points made here.
Years ago I was in favour of legalising Marijuana mainly because of your Marijuana v Alcohol argument.
Although it is not legal here a few years ago it was downgraded from a Class B to a Class C drug and the police became less, shall we say, interested in it if it was for ‘personal’ use and the Government may not have been too far away from making it legal.
Since then things have gone down hill rapidly and what I used to consider as Marijuana has been replaced with ’skunk’.
There is no doubt about it, here at least, skunk has brought all sorts of trouble with it particularly health wise i.e. breathing difficulties, psychosis etc. amongst teenagers. There are a few articles about it on the BBC News website.
I’ve not tried it myself but am not against other adults smoking it if they want to. Far too many kids are into it though at it is pretty scary.
All in all I’m probably on the fence.
Ces - 18, just like smoking. It’s the parents’ job to make sure the kids don’t smoke pot, not the government’s. The less the government does, the less they’ll screw up.
And yes, it does stink.
Joe - I’ll take a stoned driver over a drunk driver any day of the week. A stoned driver is overly cautious, like an old person. A drunk driver is reckless. Huge difference.
Blakely - I’m not arguing there will be an adjustment phase. But let’s not give up on Americans. We’ve had our freedoms suppressed for so long that given them back, we might actually see some people take responsibilities for their actions and their children.
Arty - Thank you for your input. That’s my whole reasoning. I’m a social guy. I’m out and about all the time. I’ve had too many bad encounters with drunks. I’ve yet to have a bad encounter with someone stoned, other than someone being dumb and maybe asking me the same question twice.
I’d seek to get the law changed. Just imagine the tax revenue if marijuana were real. Plus, I’d rather see police resources going to getting the real bad guys - rapists, murderers, child molesters, violent criminals, etc.
Miladysa - I have no idea what skunk is. I assume it’s marijuana laced with another drug.
Of course, if marijuana were legalized outright, it would be regulated. No lacing marijuana with something else and the THC content would be controlled. And it would be taxed. Would be nice if pot dealers paid taxes like the rest of us.
ZS - No, ’skunk’ is pure Marijuana - I’m not too up on things like this but from what I understand the old cannabis plant has been cultivate for the past forty years and today’s strain is quite a different plant than it used to be. It is easier to grow, has less disease and has a more powerful kick.
So I am assuming that one joint of today’s plant is probably the equivalent to smoking 10 or perhaps 20 joints of the 1960s version.
There’s no way these people are going to start growing something more ’sensible’ - they will keep on developing the plant - they will probably be smoking a triffyd version in 2015!!!
Wow great post. Drugs are always a fun subject really. You get so many different opinions. We have Kora telling us NO when we ask her what you say if someone asks her. We have been talking to her quite a bit lately about it. An education it is for her too.
Worrying about some adult smoking a joint but yet giving a pass to the beer and alcohol advertisements and how those products are accepted is just too much at times. Make it legal and tax the day lights out of it to help pay for some of what we need to have fixed in this country like bridges which are falling down and schools that have teachers using their money to buy supplies for class. Dear Lord with billions a month flying out of the country to pay for Iraq I almost need a doobie thinking about it but I’ll settle for a beer.
I can’t believe that our politicians haven’t latched onto legalizing pot as a source of revenue!
As for medicinal purposes, I don’t think the pharmaceutical companies want it legalized.
If you legalize pot, you’d have all these happy hippies running around. It would be worse than the zombie plague.
Miladysa - Thanks for the clarification. Yeah, I think skunk must have a super high THC level. That’s why if it were legal, you can regulate the THC level. It’s just like alcohol. You have standards for the amount of alcohol (proof) in a bottle.
Tweetey - Sounds like you’re doing a great job with Kora.
I think the whole key is communication. It’s the parents’, not the government’s job to teach children right or wrong.
Beach - That’s exactly my point. Make it legal and tax it. That tax revenue would go to good purposes. And good point about Iraq. Legalize it and smoke one to pay off the deficit GWB ran up.
Tshsmom - I can’t either. That’s huge money we’re talking about. As for the pharmaceutical companies, that’s a whole different post, but a brilliant point indeed.
Skeletor - Hippies will smoke joints whether legal or illegal. Wouldn’t you rather they paid taxes like the rest of us?
Hi Zombie,
Interesting post. I was introduced to pot at a junior high school dance, long before I ever knew how to drink, or experiment with other types of illegal drugs. As a seventh grade twelve year old female back in 1976, I absolutlely had no idea how to get drunk, let alone obtain alcohol. Nope, for me personally, I’d have to say that marajuana was the discovery that “opened my mind,” and ultimately lowered my standards in terms of drug experimintation.
Am I the minority here?
Melanie - Statistically, yes. A lot more people try “harder drugs” when on alcohol than marijuana. But there are those such as yourself who do it via marijuana, I won’t deny that.
My whole issue is that you should make the choices, not the government. I’d had too many instances of people drunk starting stuff and the police come and we have to either leave the bar/party/family reunion or the good time turns sour.
Potheads don’t start fights or cause trouble.
The other thing is, I want to see pot taxed. I’m having to pay payments on taxes while some drug dealer doesn’t pay a penny in taxes. That irks me.
Good Article! Pot should be de-criminalized! It should still be illegal, but fines should be only punishment. Those convicted of pot crimes only, should immediately be released. We need to free police and the courts from pot cases so we can devote more time to dangerous drugs. Doctors need to have the right to prescribe marijuana as it is a great drug for pain or glaucoma as you mentioned.
Geo - That’s how it was under Jerry Brown when he was Governor of California. $10 fine for having pot.
We need to free police and the courts from pot cases so we can devote more time to dangerous drugs.
Agreed, but I was thinking more along the lines of murder, a crime that shouldn’t go unsolved due to lack of resources.
Plus, imagine the tax revenue if it were legal. Decriminalization won’t get the tax revenue that legalizing it would.
Like Peter Tosh said “Leglize It”.
The resources we use to fight it are better served elsewhere and it would be a lot easier to keep it from kids if it were illegal.
P.S. - Minnesota is a decrim state and we have suffered no ill effects other than loss of tax revenue if it were legal.
JACC - That’s my argument of legalization vs decriminalization - tax revenue. I pay enough in taxes. I’d like to see taxes gained from somewhere else instead of my pockets. I’m sure you feel the same way.
And funny you say about the kids and the drugs. I’ve seen some surveys where kids have an easier time getting pot than cigarettes.
Yup.
Just because things aren’t regulated doesn’t mean the market goes away.
Around here kids have an easier time getting pot than cigs or alcohol.
Frankly; I think pot is way less harmful than booze or cigs (especially with new vaporizer technologies) but, I don’t want kids smoking it.
JACC - Exactly.
It’s the same way here. Kids have an easier time getting pot than smokes. When it comes to harm, it’s a toss up. My thing is stoned people don’t start trouble. Drunks often do. I’m tired of having to leave a place because the police got called because two idiots were fighting, and 9 times out of 10, they’re drunk.