Why wont the us government legalize marijuana?
409587
read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legalization_of_marijuana
522599
because the USA wont allow it
1105927
it wont be because the USA is politically against it ,there have been many studies with positive outcomes and all have been ignored by a sucession of Presidents.\n\nbefore 1920 marijuana was extensively grown by the USA and Mexico for the production of fibre.which made a durable material,cheap and it does not scorch,that was used for all the  jeans,ropes,sails for the sailing ships and millions of jute bags that were used by millions of farmers,representing a multimillion dollars business.\n\nafter 1920 with the coming of synthetic materials,which were products of the petrolium business ,which were owned by the families or associates of most of the presidents,\n\nthis competitive comodity could not be allowed to continue to exist,\nand the war on Mariujana was on.\n\nthe drug factor although it has been proven beyond doubt  by countless tests that it was a relative harmless substance compared to sigarettes,alcohol and others,was blatently ignored and relentlessly the war continued to this day.\nalthough it does worry the church, since people tended to stay up all night and question religious and philosohical beliefs.some times coming to uncomplementary conclusions of what was socially accepted.\n\nalcohol puts people to sleep and they dont question the given standards.\n\ntoday Mariujana fibre is making a come back in Europe and Africa and produce designer pantalons and shirts for very high prices because the quality is superior than linnen.\n\nthese fibre plants do not produce drugs to speak of and are worthless for the drug market .it is the fibre that is the value.\n\nand organically speaking it is an exelent plant to recuporate tired soils ,after cattle and corn field have practically destroyed the land,because the plant is deep rooted grows on most altitudes,and breaks open or loosens compacted soils as well as secreting nitrogen..
654471
The only reason that marihuana is not legal is because of the lumber lobby and the cotton lobby.  If marihana were to be legalized the hemp industry would put the lumber companies and the cotton companies out of business.  The drug itself is non addictive, you cant overdose, and its so widely accepted that you cant even get anyone prosecuted for possessing it, if they take it to jury trial.  I dont use marihuana but I strongly feel it should be legalized.  The government could mandate the amount of THC in each cigarette and tax the sales.  It would be a HUGE increase in revenue and and even BIGGER savings in trying to defeat it..besides its been my experience that dealing with someone high on marihuana is a non violent situation.  All they want to do is relax and enjoy life, not like Meth heads and Coke heads...they are the violent and unpredictable....
840000
In the Netherlands, marijuana is not technically legal, but authorities do nothing to enforce the law, and it therefore effectively legal. The Netherlands, starting in the 60s, have some of the most liberal laws with regards to drugs and prostitution, though apparently they take a much harder stance on hard drugs (eg. heroin, cocaine).\n\nThe US, among western nations, has some of the most conservative laws. For example, there are only two major industrialized countries where capital punishment is still legal: the US and Japan. In places like Germany, France, Australia, Canada, Spain, and Britain, the death penalty has been eliminated. So too with drugs, the US still insists on fighting the "War on Drugs" (even though it has been largely unsuccessful) as a matter of policy. While marijuana is illegal in most other places, enforcement is even more lax and there has been serious talk of decriminalizing pot in many of these countries. For example, I live in Canada and our Senate (granted, the Canadian Senate is not elected) recommended that pot be decriminalized a few years ago. Such an action would be unheard of in the US, where pot is still upheld as the source of a great myriad of social ills while tobacco and alcohol are taxed pitifully compared to many other Western countries.
455222
Heres a link to an article on the "conspiracy"...Otherwise known as the real reason pot is illegal.\n\nhttp://www.world-mysteries.com/marijuana1.htm\n\n\nPeace
53923
Because we need fewer stoned people in society.\n\nLook at the pathetic state of public education.\nLook at how little personal responsibility people have (unwanted pregnancies, stds, child neglect etc.)\nTry to get a straight answer when you call "customer service"\nTry to get correct change the next time you shop at the mall.\nTry to get your car fixed without bringing it back three times.\n\nWould it really help society if all of these people were stoned? I don't think so.\n\nThere is no constitutional right to be able to obtain whatever recreational chemicals you want, just as there is no constitutional right to drive.\n\nThere is, however a constitutional right to bear arms. Anyone who cares about freedom should be asking why there are so many laws against that.
67953
Sorry, marijuana is against Federal Law.
500750
It's not legal because it can't be regulated by the government, because it's generally regarded as a gateway drug (one that leads to other, more dangerous drug use), and because, since it hasn't always been legal like in some European countries, legalizing it would not only lead to a massive initial interest in it-- which would lead to increased health care costs (don't front; it damages respiratory systems and impairs judgment) and decrease labor quality-- and all those drug dealers who sold weed would need to find something else to do, and my guess is it wouldn't be a legit job-- so it'd also cause a spike in crime; probably gun sale, or increased trafficking in worse narcotics.\n\nIt's a dumb f--king idea.
444740
It should be legalized, but natural plants and herbs can't be patented, so the government stands to make more money off of it being illegal...through tickets and citations.  We manufacture and even market drugs with for worse effects and side effects in commercials and in magazines everyday.
1134454
Should Governments Legalize and Tax Marijuana?\nExamining a Recent Study on Legalization\nThe war on drugs is an expensive battle, as a great deal of resources go into catching those who buy or sell illegal drugs on the black market, prosecuting them in court, and housing them in jail. These costs seem particularly exorbitant when dealing with the drug marijuana, as it is widely used, and is likely no more harmful than currently legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. There's another cost to the war on drugs, however, which is the revenue lost by governments who cannot collect taxes on illegal drugs. In a recent study for the Fraser Institute, Economist Stephen T. Easton attempted to calculate how much tax revenue the Canadian government could gain by legalizing marijuana. \nThe study estimates that the average price of 0.5 grams (a unit) of marijuana sold for $8.60 on the street, while its cost of production was only $1.70. In a free market, a $6.90 profit for a unit of marijuana would not last for long. Entrepreneurs noticing the great profits to be made in the marijuana market would start their own grow operations, increasing the supply of marijuana on the street, which would cause the street price of the drug to fall to a level much closer to the cost of production. Of course, this doesn't happen because the product is illegal; the prospect of jail time deters many entrepreneurs and the occasional drug bust ensures that the supply stays relatively low. We can consider much of this $6.90 per unit of marijuana profit a risk-premium for participating in the underground economy. Unfortunately, this risk premium is making a lot of criminals, many of whom have ties to organized crime, very wealthy. \n\nStephen T. Easton argues that if marijuana was legalized, we could transfer these excess profits caused by the risk-premium from these grow operations to the government: \n\nIf we substitute a tax on marijuana cigarettes equal to the difference between the local production cost and the street price people currently pay--that is, transfer the revenue from the current producers and marketers (many of whom work with organized crime) to the government, leaving all other marketing and transportation issues aside we would have revenue of (say) $7 per [unit]. If you could collect on every cigarette and ignore the transportation, marketing, and advertising costs, this comes to over $2 billion on Canadian sales and substantially more from an export tax, and you forego the costs of enforcement and deploy your policing assets elsewhere. \nOne interesting thing to note from such a scheme is that the street price of marijuana stays exactly the same, so the quantity demanded should remain the same as the price is unchanged. However, it's quite likely that the demand for marijuana would change from legalization. We saw that there was a risk in selling marijuana, but since drug laws often target both the buyer and the seller, there is also a risk (albeit smaller) to the consumer interested in buying marijuana. Legalization would eliminate this risk, causing the demand to rise. This is a mixed bag from a public policy standpoint: Increased marijuana use can have ill effects on the health of the population but the increased sales bring in more revenue for the government. However, if legalized, governments can control how much marijuana is consumed by increasing or decreasing the taxes on the product. There is a limit to this, however, as setting taxes too high will cause marijuana growers to sell on the black market to avoid excessive taxation. \nWhen considering legalizing marijuana, there are many economic, health, and social issues we must analyze. One economic study will not be the basis of Canada's public policy decisions, but Easton's research does conclusively show that there are economic benefits in the legalization of marijuana. With governments scrambling to find new sources of revenue to pay for important social obje
797756
Not comletely legal...and even if it were federal law over rides states...haven't you seen the med marijauna in CA??\n\nIt's not now...but we are still working on it...\n\nThe government can't keep the lie up much longer...people know that marijuana is not nearly as harmful as they try making it out to be.\n\nI am more concerned with my son trying harder drugs than pot...in fact I would be more angry if he come home drunk than if he come home high....but I would still be pi**ed!
1134999
Because alcohol and tobacco are already in place and have been giving the government money forever, where as the government did not know that it would be such a good commodity.  Check out the difference between using paper and hemp.  Hemp is better all around, for environment, cost, everything and why is it they use paper and not hemp, that is right money!!!  It is crazy, but the government does not put laws in place (like alcohol and tobacco) to look out for you, so the fact that it has never caused a death is unimportant to them, the important fact is that it would be easy for people to grow their own and then the government would not make any money with it so it has to be illegal.  Sucks right, you have to love our for the money by the money government!!!
137204
No.  The gov't has no way of controlling it therefore being unable to tax it.  No money for the gov't = No legal weed for USA.  It is legal in some states for medicinal purposes, but you can still be tried federally for it.  (Which is so bizarre, I thought the state had supremecy in something like that).  It's just amazing that alcohol and cigarettes do SO much damage to your body and marijuana does virtually nothing & is sometimes helpful.  It helps with my anxiety.  Legalizing it would also put us in a different state from the rest of the world, there are countries in which you can lose your life for carrying a spliff.  Up until a couple years ago, England treated marijuana offenders the same way they treated cocaine/heroin offenders.
229462
Drugs should be legalized, and especially marijuana.  Marijuana grows out of the ground, therefore, it must have a purpose.  It is medically proven to help cancer patients and people with multiple sclerosis, yet the stupid government has this whole issue with controlling people's lives.  My husband was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and did not smoke pot.  He kept having exacerbations and ending up in the hospital.  When he began to smoke, he stopped getting sick!  People shouldn't be punished for using drugs...they should be punished is they commit crimes to obtain drugs!
621511
if marijuana was legal it would make uncle SAM tons of money. one they would be able to tax it. hello that right there is some cash.  all those people sitting in jail waisting a tax dollars for having a few ozs they would be out giving uncle SAM more cash.  they could regulate it better its easier for underage kids to by weed than alcohol so if they sold it in a store you could check id.  Violence in inner city's would go down soon.  other country's like Holland have realized that legal green can be and is a good thing.  /even Alaska legalized weed for a short tI'me, and im not talking about just medical i mean it was legal to have so much on you and grow so much in your home as long as you weren't selling it.  i wish that the government would make it legal i think it would benefit our county greatly
1045398
Mostly fear. And ignorance. \n\nThe medical community and people who decide what is legal and illegal still consider marijuana to be a gateway drug. They think it is  bad for you. \n\nWhile I agree with you about it should be legal, it isn't. \n\nYou can it taken off the list of illegal drugs and work to make it legal, but until it is legal, don't break the law and risk going to jail. Instead, work to get it made legal. \n\nIt is legal for medical use in Oregon and California and all over the west coast. \n\nWork to get it legalized.