Please give me a reason WHY it is illegal, not your opinion on whether or not it should legalized.
202590
It is illegal because of racism,  corporate greed, and corrupt officials.  Here's the history (see first source)\n\nThere has never been a reported death from marijuana as it is physiologically impossible to have a lethal overdose from it (unlike aspirin and many other legal drugs).  While long term heavy smoking of marijuana can cause bronchitis and other lung conditions, it has also not been shown to cause cancer (although the smoke contains carcinogens, every study has shown no correlation between marijuana use and cancer).\n\nMarijuana does effect short-term memory and motor coordination, but this is not a long-term problem.  While driving under the influence of marijuana is not safe, it is safer than alcohol or fatigue.\n\nThe recent FDA statement about medical marijuana was based on trying to help the pharmaceutical companies who sell marijuana-based drugs like Marinol and Sativex.  Read any of the major newspaper editorials on the FDA statement and you'll see they were slammed for ignoring all the established science in favor of medical marijuana (and a group of Representatives in Congress are demanding an explanation from the FDA).
183010
Why not then, just go ahead. As long as you are not doing illegal activities I think that is just fine.
434822
The bottom line is if drugs are illegal or not there still going to be used. Instead of punishing people for using them should we be controling what is being stole, how its being stole, who is selling them and who there being stole to???\n\nThis is what i dont understand about drug laws.. Yes if abused drugs lead to some very nasty things. But a 'drug' like cannabis which was made illegal in the first place was to give synthic fibers a go in the market and racial reasons.. Alot of people are just uneducated on drugs... Cannabis isnt just a 'party drug' has a lot of medical purposes.. I should no i use it for this urpose myself..  And who has the right to tell me what i can or cant use? Its my body isnt it? If i choice to use a NATURAL plant to help other then meds which i have ni idea whats in them.. Let alone all the side affects.. Makes you think doesnt it?\n\nThen you go to drugs like ectasy.. Wouldnt you rather see young people use this drug in a controled enviroment? With it being in the black market theres no laws stoping what gets put in them.. If i was to go buy ectasy right now ive got no idea whats in it. Alot of dealers dont care about the buyers well being just the money thats being handed over.. Now if they were legal you would know whats in it [well at least the goverment would.] \n\nIf drugs were to be made legal doesnt mean its goin to be in your face day in day out, does it? If you think about it it will only affect those who use them.. Pretty much were saying let us make our own choices in life, if i choice to smoke marijuana that my choice not urs its not harrys or marys.. Its mine! Plus think of the money that would be put back in to the economy?\n\nWell thats enough of my rant about the 'war against drugs' for now... Hope thats a answer you where looking for
434672
It's illegal, period.  You use it, sell it, have it in your possession, etc, and get caught, you are going to prison.
387644
Marijuana smoking should be legalised everywhere.\nIt is a simple natural herb, which provides pleasure and relaxation, and has many beneficial medicinal properties. It relieves stress, reduces pain, and certain studies show that it can disipate asthma, and be beneficial to alzheimer's patients.\nThe reason it was made illegal in the first place was because the oil from the seeds can be used to fuel an engine, and so the oil lobby, along with the media who were making profits from cutting down trees, found a way to make it illegal. The law was passed as a part of the tax law, which introduced the name marijuana, so that nobody would realise that they were restricting the use of hemp.
104033
Yes it should be legal. For one, I have lived in a place where it IS legal and the differences are astounding. Children/Teens are MUCH less likely to smoke pot if it is legal. It doesn't have the "mystique" that illegal items do. Also, there are fewer Driving while Under the Influence charges per capita where marijuana is legal, because it is used more responsibly. Check your crime statistics, you'll find that I'm right. Marijuana is no more dangerous than a cigarette. In fact, it is NOT as addictive. Infact, marijuana is ONLY a psychologically addictive drug, not a physiologically addictive one. Cigarettes are both. Economically speaking, if it were legal it would be MUCH cheaper to get. This would help regulate quality of the drug, making it much less likely to be laced with other, more addictive additives like PCP. The sale of it could be governmentally regulated, like alcohol and other controlled substances, and TAXED. That would generate a HUGE amount of tax revenue........
181596
read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legalization_of_marijuana
138490
(First off, I would like to appologize in advance for my horrible spelling :( )\nI sort of walk the line on this question.\n\nIf it were legalized - people wouldn't care if they got cought or not. This could cause people to go driving around high and going to work high. I know some already do that, but it would cause more of it to happen. At least people try to do it at home so they don't get cought, and they stay away from people they could hurt.\n\nIf it stays illegal - people are going to do it either way... people will still complain... not much to say here :p\n\nEven if it was legalized, people that don't like it would have to just deal. I hate when people get so angery about things that they don't like. For example, those that say relgious people or christians are dumb and basically harass them. If you don't like it, stay away from it.\n\nAre we bringing down society? In my opinion, no. There will always be things to bring down society: prostitution, porno, alcohol (#1 killer in america is drunk driving), murder, fighting, ect. You can't stop people from doing what they want - it all comes down to choice. There will always be a good and bad side to society because people don't agree on whats right or wrong....\n\nDo I care? Meh... I use to be a major "pot head"... I don't care if they do it... it's their life, who am to decide what they should and shouldn't do?\n\nWould it matter if the penalties were harsher/softer? People still murder and do really bad things that just send them straight down death row... That just goes back to the fact that people will do what they want weather you like it or not...\n\nIs it possible that your doctor is a pot head? Why not? What about your priest? :p I'm sure 90% of the world has, or is going to try or be exposed to it eventually...\n\nA limmit? I'm guessing if you mean it was leagalized... Well of course they would put limitations, just like alcohol. You can't drive if you are like .08 over the intoxication level or something... They would probably have something like that for pot too... Well, people will still go over the limmit regardless......\n\nMeh, guess I'm tryin to say that people are going to do it no matter what lol... Will it actually change anything if it was legalized? Most likely not....... besides a possible rise in car crashes....\n\n(edit: what if they did legalize it and had huge fields of it growing? What if it caught on fire... lol everyone in the state would get high from the fumes.....)
104999
I don't think it should be legal, we got enough potheads in America, although I think the punishment for possession should be less serious.
621150
If my neighbor smokes pot, it doesn't pick my pocket, it doesn't break my leg, it doesn't infringe on any of my rights. How then, is it any of my business? My nieghbor's body belongs to my neighbor -- he has the right to take risks with that body. It isn't an appropriate function of government to make us "be good"; if it were, we'd soon have laws compelling us to exercise and eat our spinach. Our current drug policy is doing more harm than the drugs themselves.
159048
no it shouldn't be legal, its more fun that way.
248632
No it is not legal for individuals.  Governments can and do do it all the time.
273920
The Government is basically saying that it is OK to break the law (come into this country illegally). If it is OK to break laws, why can't I smoke pot in the middle of the street? Why can't I rob a bank, pay taxes on the money and live as a milionnare??? Risk??? No one gets anywhere in life without taking risks. They knew the risks and made their decision. This country is overpopulated as is and services such as Social Security and Welfare are already strapped. I think a lot of politicians voted on this law because they feared losing their housekeepers, gardeners, and nannies. God forbid if these people of privilege actually have to wash a dish, change a diaper, or get their hands dirty pulling weeds.
554751
The question of the marijuana laws has been addressed by numerous major government commissions over the years. In order to understand why it is illegal, I recommend you read the short history of the marijuana laws at http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/whiteb1.htm \n\nSee also "Why marijuana was outlawed" at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/mj_outlawed.htm\n\nIn short, it was outlawed for two major reasons. In the southwestern states it was outlawed because of racial prejudice against Mexican immigrants. In the northeastern states it was outlawed because of the fear that heroin addiction would lead to the use of marijuana -- exactly the opposite of the modern "gateway" myth.\n\nEvery major government commission report on the laws in the last 100 years has concluded that the marijuana laws were the result of ignorance and nonsense. They all found that there was no justification for making marijuana illegal and that the prohibition laws do more harm than good. You can find summaries of their conclusions, with links to the full text of the studies, at http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/studies.htm
644542
As I have experienced both marijuana and alcohol I have the knowledge and first hand experience to make an educated decision.\n\nMarijuana should be legalized.  If not, then alcohol should be illegal.  You are never going to so stoned on marijuana that you will be falling over, can't walk let alone stand up, can't speak or hold a conversation, pass out not remember anything, wake up puking your guts out like on alcohol.\n\nIt has many benifits and medical uses (such as glocoma, arthritis, eating disorders, pain) and would make the government legallizing it lots of money.
248575
salvia can indce hallucinogenic effects for a short period of time. people smoke it unstop of weed or on its own. it is legal and sold in some head shops outside the Internet. It is kinda spendy but i think that it is mixed with other things to induce the high, ie weed. I think weed should be legal and everything else including alcohol other then beer and wine, and home made booze, (thats okay)salvia should be illegal. Just weed never hurt any one, it is a ntural occuring plant and through times human discovered ways to use it, like tobacco, but you actually get something other then death with it.
193839
I see there are quite a lot of uneducated people answering questions nowadays.\n\nThe only reason marijuana was made illegal was to discriminate against the Mexicans coming into America during the early 1900s. First, they passed a law that said if a person possessed marijuana, they needed a tax stamp on it, but the government never gave anyone these stamps so the cops would just throw those people in jail. It had nothing to do with people actually getting high off of it. Then in the 1950s, the government went and made it completely illegal because they were so uneducated about it, they thought it made people psychotic murderers.\n\nEdit: I swear, some people just buy into everything they are told on TV. As I see more stupid people comment on how marijuana is a gateway drug, I must interject once again. It's is NOT a gateway drug. People see all drugs as taboo, so if they try marijuana and like it, that makes them wonder if the government is wrong about all the other illegal drugs out there. Legalize it, and I guarantee people who do other drugs will quit doing those and just smoke marijuana. And the people who just start smoking marijuana will be content with the affect it has on them and won't do anything else. The folks that are so bent on trying other drugs will do so regardless if they ever smoke marijuana. It's just the fact that marijuana is much more accessable, so that is usually the drug they use first.