Legalize it!

Just thought I would throw this one out there...I think we would save lots of money, and reduce crime with the legalization of marijuana...Jesse Ventura brought up an interesting point, if we should be allowed the pursuit of happiness, does that give us the right to be stupid? If so, then why is the government protecting us from ourselves by making substances illegal? As long as possessing the substance doesn't violate anyone else's rights, then wouldn't it be alright? People are smart enough to handle themselves, and if not...consequences come from bad choices. Any thoughts?

I really wish it would be legalized but, I don't think it will happen anytime soon. Marijuana and hemp are both very useful plants. That exactly why they won't legalize it. The phamaceutical, lumber, petroleum and cotton industries would lose money. The government is in their pocket and they can't let that happen. I love weed. I'm stoned right now. I guess I'll stay a criminal.

Originally posted by Shoktek
People are smart enough to handle themselves, and if not...consequences come from bad choices. Any thoughts?

Yes. Many people obviously can not handle the responsibility which comes along when doing things such as drinking, eating excessively, and having sex. This is why people get STDs, die from alcohol poisoning, and die from eating the wrong foods. If we are allowed to do these things and suffer the consequences, which actually seem much worse than the consequences faced when doing a drug such as marijuana, then we should be allowed to face the consequences of marijuanna usage as well. It really does not make a lot of sense because the reasoning does not balance. The reason we are fed is drugs are bad so they are illegal, but other things are bad and to make them illegal would be unconstitutional. So is this unconstitutional if the banning of other more harmful (currently legal) drugs would be considered unconsttutional? I would think so... but others are fooled and do not see it this way.

Originally posted by NotTooHappy
I really wish it would be legalized but, I don't think it will happen anytime soon. Marijuana and hemp are both very useful plants. That exactly why they won't legalize it. The phamaceutical, lumber, petroleum and cotton industries would lose money. The government is in their pocket and they can't let that happen. I love weed. I'm stoned right now. I guess I'll stay a criminal.

Im sure if someone came up with a way the government could tax it and get a cut out of it they would legalize it.

Originally posted by chrisnolefan

Originally posted by NotTooHappy
I really wish it would be legalized but, I don't think it will happen anytime soon. Marijuana and hemp are both very useful plants. That exactly why they won't legalize it. The phamaceutical, lumber, petroleum and cotton industries would lose money. The government is in their pocket and they can't let that happen. I love weed. I'm stoned right now. I guess I'll stay a criminal.

Im sure if someone came up with a way the government could tax it and get a cut out of it they would legalize it

.

It could be regulated like alcohol or tobacco. You can make or grow these at home but, it is more conveniet to buy it from the store. Big business is paying off politicians to keep it outlawed so they don't lose money.

Sadly, in something like 60% of America's correctional institutions have over 1/3 of their population there for marijuana RELATED crimes. I saw some guy's thesis paper or something online quite awhile back and he pulled up a buttload of figures... loat that link too ... but anyways, he found that something like 1/4 of the total population of America's correctional system is comprised of marijuana-only offenders, with well over half of THAT being in for less than 2 ounces possession charge. He also did a bunch of math figures to find out how much money we could save by not incarcerating marijuana offenders and he came up with some astronomical figures!

But, I guess if that money isn't going to the greedy man's pockets, he gonna have no part of that, right?

Also saw somewhere (offline) that had figures, based on statistical surveys, that gave some awesomely high figures for an expected income from taxation of marijuana. It was fairly basic... just figured (at the time) current average tax on cigarettes times the average amount of marijuana consumed (I think on a monthly basis). Of course, these figures are gonna be quite high (for the tax part... the unjailing, I believe, was pretty much on the mark). The thing you gotta remember is that they can't tax you if you grow your own weed. But, if it was legal and being taxed, they could tax a smoking lounge, and I WOULD PAY THE TAXES! I would never, for a couple years anyways, gripe about them taxing my weed if they made it legal!

no keep weed illegal, or decriminalize it. legalizing weed would merely change the hassles for users, not remove them.while i would like to see weed become decriminalized in my lifetime, i also wouldn't mind too much if it stayed illegal. i haven't had very much trouble aquiring or using it....yet......knock on wood







sooooo beatiful

Originally posted by dunkleskates
no keep weed illegal, or decriminalize it. legalizing weed would merely change the hassles for users, not remove them.while i would like to see weed become decriminalized in my lifetime, i also wouldn't mind too much if it stayed illegal. i haven't had very much trouble aquiring or using it....yet......knock on wood







sooooo beatiful

Drooooling

www.abovetopsecret.com...

[Edited on 24-2-2004 by SpittinCobra]

I think I'm starting to agree, dead-God forbid. As someone who abhors drugs (all drugs), I think the issue is that we are punishing people for drug use when it is often out of their control. The focus should be on rehabilitation of drug abusers, not punishment. It would save the correctional system lots of money, as well as improving the health of drug abusers.

DE

Originally posted by Shoktek
Just thought I would throw this one out there...

Hey man, are you the guy that always calls up Washington Journal on C-SPAN and says, "LEGALIZE IT", and laughs as they hang up on you?

I know it's you , man!

DC

It's an herb. It's not synthesized or mutated out of it's natural form.
Isn't that the base criteria for a drug?

Its not at all difficult for them to legalize it. They just have to set up the regulations before they do. Look at what happened after prohibition. The government regulated the sale and production of alchohol, and amazingly it worked. Producers and distributors, as shocking as it may sound, followed these regulations out of fear of losing their licenses. Why the same can't be done with pot is beyond me.

The government will never win the war on drugs. Legalization also has a lot more posistives than negatives. The government will have to regulate it, so they will be able to tax it, but the consumer will also be guaranteed a safe and efficient product. They will be a helluva lot cheaper as well.

I would love to see marijuana legalized. I just hope one day I will be able to go down to the store and buy a pack of Marlboro Greens.

Originally posted by Bout Time
It's an herb. It's not synthesized or mutated out of it's natural form.
Isn't that the base criteria for a drug?

THC is the active compound in pot. It crosses the blood brain barrier and is psycho-active. Therefore considered a drug.

Still, that's rather loose, and I'm all for it being legal, even though I don't, nor would, use it.....

Originally posted by Gazrok
Still, that's rather loose, and I'm all for it being legal, even though I don't, nor would, use it.....

Yep, it is a loose definition, but a true one. I have to admit using it in my college years.

The fact is that the powers that be want it legal so that, like alcohol it can be used by large sections of the populous so that they spend most of their time in a stupour, largely ingnorant about the forces shaping their lives.

no they dont want it legalized. its already spread enough to cause stupor.

Legalizing it would damage the ganster image of rap in a small way,

remove a source of income for politicians, illegal corporate wars, and im not sure but i think drug lords would lose soem of their hold.

They should just legalize it. The figures stated are incorrect about the institutional % for just weed/ possession.

Unless you are caught with over half an ounce the chance you serving ANY jail time is like maybe 2%.

AT least 35% of the total population in the state of california either currently smoke it or have in the past.

Granted there might be an increase in traffic related accidents. But people who are stoned usually fall into two groups.

1. they drive better high, because they pay more attention to what they are doing.

Or

2. they dont drive when they are high, because they are either too sleepy or are currently eating, laughing or play video games to get up and drive anywhere

Think about the amount of money could be generated for the goverment, not including the increased sales and taxes of retail goods.

Taco Bell would make more money
Denny's would make more money
7 Eleven would make more money
Any place that sells ice cream would make more money
Movies would be funnier, hence movie theaters would make more money
Video Game companies would make more money
More private enterprises catering to paraphenalia would make more money
Deliver service companies would make more money
Air purifing companies would make more money
Carpet cleaning companies would make more money (bong water)
Art would become more mainstream and artists and art galleries would make more money
We would actually put a man on mars within 2 or 3 years because some "gifted" people would have figured out the best way while being "enlightened"
The family unit would become stronger as parents would be home more with their kids
Less crime
More people being passionate about the world around them
Less depressed people
More attention to the enviroment and learning horticulture (learning how to grow your own) would spawn learning how to grow other "greeneries" tomatoes etc

All these things would improve
IMO of course, we could just all smoke ourselves out of existence too

Originally posted by DeusEx
I think I'm starting to agree, dead-God forbid. As someone who abhors drugs (all drugs), I think the issue is that we are punishing people for drug use when it is often out of their control. The focus should be on rehabilitation of drug abusers, not punishment. It would save the correctional system lots of money, as well as improving the health of drug abusers.

DE

The prision system is just as big a "Big Buisness" as Oil, Tobacco, The Govt, Auto, ect.....
It's not about whats right. They get more revinue from pushing people thru the legal system with fines, court costs, lawyers ect....
sheeeeeet....even probation costs money.
Rehab would not bring in revinue.
Makes no sence at all.
I could grab a bottle of pain killers which is way more addictive and alot easier to get my hands on. Morphine even. But a little grass is a class "A" "drug"
Here we go beating this poor dead horse again!

[Edited on 27-2-2004 by baked]

Breakfast of champions.

[Edited on 28-2-2004 by Shoktek]