Legalization of The Drug Marijuana

I am writing a paper for school and I wanted some input. My topic is "The Legalization of the Drug Marijuana" Mostly, I am focused on the medical aspect, but also a bit on personal use. I realize that there was a thread deleted on a subject like this, but keep in mind, I am only asking whether or not it should be legal, not encouraging any illegal drug use what so ever.

So lets talk about the pros and cons and your opinion on the subject!
    
Health
Pro: Could be used to help patients seek relief
Con: Smoking the drug can lead to lung cancer

Con: 7.7 billion dollars in federal and state expenses combined are spent each year to enforce marijuana probation for simple possession.
Pro: An estimated 6.5 billion dollars a year could be earned through taxation of the sale of the drug.

Pro: The drug marijuana is not addictive.
Con: The lifestyle is addictive.

Pro: Laws could prevent kids from obtaining and using the drug.
Con: Legalizing the drug may make it more available to kids.

Any one have any pros or cons to add? If you know of any good websites, that would be helpful too! Thanks!

Thanks a ton for moving this! Sorry, I thought I was posting in the lounge!

The Libertarian Party believes in ending drug prohibition.  Here is what they say:

Drug prohibition does more to make Americans unsafe than any other factor. Just as alcohol prohibition gave us Al Capone and the mafia, drug prohibition has given us the Crips, the Bloods and drive-by shootings. Consider the historical evidence: America's murder rate rose nearly 70% during alcohol prohibition, but returned to its previous levels after prohibition ended. Now, since the War on Drugs began, America's murder rates have doubled. The cause/effect relationship is clear. Prohibition is putting innocent lives at risk.

What's more, drug prohibition also inflates the cost of drugs, leading users to steal to support their high priced habits. It is estimated that drug addicts commit 25% of all auto thefts, 40% of robberies and assaults, and 50% of burglaries and larcenies. Prohibition puts your property at risk. Finally, nearly one half of all police resources are devoted to stopping drug trafficking, instead of preventing violent crime. The bottom line? By ending drug prohibition Libertarians would double the resources available for crime prevention, and significantly reduce the number of violent criminals at work in your neighborhood.

From http://www.lp.org/issues/lp-oss.shtml

all for it, for medical and recreational purposes.  my biggest beef with it being illegal has to do mostly with the industry of dealing, violent crime, and the prison industry (based all on my experience of working with inner-city youth).

my greatest concern in the legalization of it is how the government will monitor the production and if it will remain natural.

Thanks, I hadn't even thought of the crime aspect yet! I appreciate this!

You may find this website interesting - it has quite a few links on the subject.

It is Canadian based - because it is legal for medical purposes here.

Thanks, glinda! 

i strongly believe it should be legalized. at this point people who want to use it are going to do so no matter what. there is no reason for spaces in our jails to be taken up for marijuana offenses!

There's a book called Aint Nobody's Business If You Do by Peter McWilliams that's excellent in addressing all the pro's and con's of this issue as well as many other so-called 'victimless crimes'

Maybe your library will have it?

always pushing the library...I commend your persistance, nomo-licious...:)

I want it legalized for the tax revenue...we need the dough...:)

::giggles::

you got me!

;D

in calif it is lagal. I believe it can help in many way. I know it helps with cancer patients. I had acute leukemia in 1994 and i believed it saved my life back then.

legalize it

tat2- in cali it's legal if you have it for medicinal purposes and then you have to have th eproper documentation for that and can only smoke it in appropriate places. if i got caught w/ it i'd be fined.

i think it should be legalized. so many people use it w/o any problems. i see it as beign very similar to alcohol in its effects. i think if it was legal, you should not be permitted to drive under the influence obviously. i mean, most people have used it and been fine and gone on to be lawmakers and crap so what's the problem.

Thanks for all the input so far. I am glad to see I am not the only one who feels it should be made legal!

Thanks, nomore, I will try to hunt down the book, I'm supposed to go to the library tomorrow. I hope they actually have it...

i just dont see the big difference between legalizing alcohol and not legalizing marijuana --i mean if the nation wanted to get rid of all vices, (drugs/alcohol/cigarettes/unhealthy food/tanning beds/etc.) then whatever, at least we're consistent.

but if we allow alcohol--i just dont see how marijuana is worse.

From my experiences, people who are drunk want to get loud, obnoxious, violent, depraved---they are more likely to go out reckless driving, smash stuff, destroy things, sleep with random people,

but friends who are high (just weed)--seem to want to sit on the couch, eat twinkies, and watch cartoons.

both are obviously not the ideal lifestyles, but i rather deal with someone who is stoned than drunk.

this won't help your paper, but i felt like writing it anyways.

i mean what is even the reason? a lot of pot is bad for the lungs or whatever, but a lot of liquor is bad for the liver. i mean it is easier to moderately drink than moderately get high i guess?

i dont know

GO FOR IT!!! Legalize it! or does the government make enough working both sides of the fence getting kickbacks?

Didnt a woman lose a case in California just recently? She was fatally ill and in order to survive she had to eat and the only way she was able was by consuming marijuana to settle her stomach and it went as far as the supreme court and appeals and still she was denied.

I might be getting my facts twisted but it just sounded familiar

I agree that alcohol is much worse than marijuana, I say legalize it.

BTW My post was deleted for talking about drug use.

changeofheart I wrote a paper on that a few years back. My paper is at home and I am at work though :)

I did have many interesting points supporting the legalization. Are you interested? When I go home I can look.

I got an A on it so perhaps it would help you.

So that was your post? I didn't see it, just saw something about here in the forum. Sorry to hear that! I hope mine lasts until at least Saturday, when the final paper is due! ;0

I feel that their are many dangerous drugs available already. Our backyard bar-B-Qs consist of coolers full of beer, a liver and life destroyer. Our medicine cabinets contain addictive prescriptions with strange side effects (elbow stink and anal leakage). And you can buy a pack of smokes, purposely made to keep you addicted but you can't buy marijuana, a natural, non addictive substance???? It boggles my mind!

I am not saying marijuana is perfect or harmless, but come on, really, is it so bad that we have to keep it swept under the rug? The stuff grows out of the ground, for Christ sake! How is it that my government can tell me (or anyone else) that they can't use something they can grow in their own backyard? Wait, there's my answer! They can't guarantee they can tax ALL of it, right? They fear there is not enough money to be had. Greedy @ssholes!