Should marijuana be legalized?
602533
No, it should be decriminalized as it is in The Netherlands.\n\nMarijuana is not a gateway drug. There has never been a legitmate study proving it is.\n\n"Despite the legalization of soft drugs, use of cannabis in the Netherlands is not higher than most other countries in Western Europe: 9.7% of young males consume cannabis at least once a month, which rates the Netherlands 7th in the EU after Cyprus (23.3%), Spain (16.4%), United Kingdom (15.8%), France (13.2%), Italy (10.9%) and Germany (9.9%).[1]\n\nSome critics say that the legalization of soft drugs often leads to quicker consuming of harddrugs. Yet, the percentage of the population which ever consumed cocaine in the Netherlands is still lower than that of the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy. The situation is similar for other hard drugs."
174777
They should, but it wouldn't pass that way.  The drug and alcohol companies would (and already do) lobby against it like a mother.  They should just do the right thing and end the prohibition of marijuana.  It would put all the drug dealers out of business and save the government BILLIONS of dollars every year. Marijuana is more readily available to teens as an illegal drug than alcohol as a legal one. Why? Because the fool at QT or anywhere else that sells alcohol doesn't wanna lose his job for selling to minors. Let them sell marijuana to people 21+ just like alcohol. \n\nHow many moonshiners do you know?  I don't know any, because alcohol is legal.  Make marijuana legal and the dealers will go away just the same.
244540
have rethought my position on legalization of marijuana. I think it should be legal under certain guidelines and locals.\n\nThe first reason it should be legalized it will mellow out the liberals. They are way to shrill.\n\nReason number two, if a liberal is high they won't care about voting and we can easily elect conservative representative, congressmen, and president. Conservatives will never again have to deal with R.I.N.O.s if this happens. Imagine if there was no Arlen Spector or John McCain.\n\nReason Three assuming that only liberals and libertarians are for the legalization of drugs they can fight amongst themselves, and we conservatives have a way to sure up our power\n\nThe Previsos\n\nmarijuana would only be legal in Blue States. If you are caught with marijuana in a red state you get a trial and immediately executed after the trial, no appeals. The reason for this is to get potheads out of here and since it seams as if the Blue states want to legalize it let them.\n\nIf someone who is high robs, steals, or causes an accident after THC is detected in their system ALL their possessions become the property of the estate of the victim. (applies to all fifty)\n\nIf they have children, the children are removed from the home and are never returned (applies to all fifty)\n\nThe only treatment for those who want to quit smoking marijuana will be the intake of tobacco products, or beaten with a bong. Paid for by the offender (the way they train dogs not to make messes on carpets) Again all fifty.\n\nIf this works for marijuana I would propose the same for all illicit drugs. But no one would accept this proposal so I will have to continue my opposition to this and ALL illegal drugs.
652718
well.. i dont know to be honest.. but i think it should be.. the government should control it and price it and the world in my opinion would be a better place... no one has ever overdosed on pot..
610077
your chances are slim and none.what's even worse is that even if marijuana is eventually legalized it will still be on your record because it was illegal at the time.let's wake up,people,and quit wasting lives and tax dollars over prosecution of a relatively harmless weed.far less harmful than tobacco or alcohol.
111833
Yes.In my opinion, I think marijuana should be legalized. Have you ever watched the tv show called Cops? How many domestic violence calls have you seen them respond to because someone was high on pot. None that I remember.. Alcohol on the other hand causes most people to become violent,arguementative and has destroyed thousands of families. Most that get into a drunken stuper can't even remember what they did the next day. Marijuana on the other hand causes most people to relax, kick-back, laugh and eat.. They can alsways remember what they did. The only lives I know of that have been destroyed because of marijuana has come about because they got caught using or in posession. Now their life is ruined because they are going to loss their job, possibly their house, cars, kids and anything else the government can figure out a why to make a buck. Hell, someone that smokes a little pot on the weekend can loose their job three or four weeks later if they're drug tested at work. This, even though they aren't under the influence. An alcoholic, who has abused his wife and kids over the same weekend can go to work on monday and pass any drug/alcohol test given them.. Me personally, having spent time with both, I'd much rather spend time with the potheads than the drunken, slobbering loud mouthed alcolohic's.
830744
What would happen to the crime rate if it were legalized?\n\nWhat would the number of users do if it were legalized... would it increase or decrease?\n\nWe know it's a harmful substance so why would one want to legalize such a harmful drug?\n\nIf it were legalized, then teens (for the most part) using the substance to rebel against parents, rules, laws, and whatever else, what would they do?  Would they continue using marijuana or would they move on to another, more harmful substance?\n\nHow and why would this benefit society?\n\nThe only use for marijuana that's acceptable in society today (for medicinal purposes) is already available in many states/provinces with a prescription from a qualified doctor.  What would the purpose of legalizing marijuana be?  \n\nIf it were legalized, wouldn't it be easier to get ahold of and be easier for children to access and be harmed by?\n\nWould you allow your own children (either now or several years down the road when you do have children) to use marijuana?  If it's legalized they can purchase it on their own much easier.  Just gives a person a little bit to think about.
761198
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.
575828
AGREE! of course...lol jk...idk...maybe\nIt's cool, but wat would happen if legalized?\nLegalizing marijuana would allow ppl to smoke it openly rather than hiding it. But would it bring down the number of ppl that smoke it, or would it bring it up? It does help with Gleucoma and other diseases, so I guess for "medicinal" purposes it should be legalized.\nEither way ppl will b doin it anyway, \nwhether legal or not
781437
I think so, for a couple of reasons.  \n\n1) Teen drug use is lower in countries like Amsterdam, which have legalized it. \n2) More law enforcemnet money can be spent on the "harder" drugs like meth, coke, herion, etc.--I consider those drugs much more of a danger to society.  This would take a burden off our jails too. \n3)  Decriminalizng Marijuana would give many minor drug offenders a shot at a better life--FYI, you are unable to get any financial aid for college if you are any type of drug offender, even a Misdemeanor!!  That only helps to continue the cycle of poverty/drug use/dealing, etc. \n4)  Tax the crap out of it and we could pay off our national debt! \n5) Marijuana has the potential to be an effective treatment for many people with various ailments, such as glaucoma, cancer, etc.\n\nCool class you are taking, never written papers like that before.
642126
No, marijuana should not be legalized, but it should be decriminalized, like the rest of the world has done. Why make criminals out of pot heads? Answer: to take everyone's rights away.\n\nBecause of a little marijuana, they can seize your car, your bank accounts, your possessions; just load it all up and take it away, and redistribute your wealth elsewhere. That is forbidden by the Contitution.\n\nBecause of a little marijuana, they can search every crack and crevice of your body, search your car, gain access to open land, spy on you, record your messages, and start a dosier on you. \n\nIf they smell marijuana, good luck. But all they have to do is "say" they smelled marijuana, and all of the above applies.\n\nBecause of a little marijuana, they can give you more jail time than bank robbers, rapists, and even murderers, especially if the Fed gets involved, and they have filled their jails to overflowing and can't build them fast enough. And this is one of the most important reasons of all to decriminalize marijuana, is to get the Fed the hell outa here, and to stop the growth rate of the prison industry.\n\nBecause of a little marijuana, you want more marijuana. It is not addictive, but it is psychologically addictive. You spend a good part of your life high, or coming down, and the parties are for hours. Then you spend hours driving around looking for it and smoking more. Then you have to get some more money to pay for it. \n\nYou can spend an inordinate amount of your time "wasted," and watching life go by, or you can kick the drugs and get "in" life and live it, experience it, effect it, gain from it, experience joy and fulfillment and happiness, or you can sit on the couch and seek pleasure that fades after the last toke. \n\nBecause of a little marijuana, you will be lethargic and not do well in school, if you go at all. And probably because of marijuana, you will not succeed in life. It will choose your friends, it will choose your music, it will choose where you go, and you will live your life for a worthless lie called a drug.
67803
It should be legalized.\nIt should be controlled as is alcohol(over 21, strict driving laws, etc.).\nIt should be taxed as are alcohol and tobacco which will provide additional revenue to the states.\nThe legalization will allow law enforcement and the courts to concentrate on more dangerous drugs and more serious crimes.  The legalization will also help to alleviate some of the overcrowding in our jails and prisons, an additional savings to the taxpayers.
373125
It should definately be legalized.  If alcohol is legal, then marijuana should be too! I don't think the death statistics for smoking a joint are near as high as the ones for alcohol.\n\nAccording to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2004, 16,694 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes - an average of one almost every half-hour. These deaths constituted approximately 39 percent of the 42,636 total traffic fatalities.
401831
Well, that depends on what substances you are talking about.  Personally, I think that an adult should be allowed to engage in activities that are not harmful to anyone else and do not infringe on the rights of others.  Having said that, I do not necessarily believe that full legalization is the way to go.  In the case of marijuana, for instance, it is theorized that the price might actually increase if the government started regulating and taxing the sale of marijuana.  I think a more logical solution, at least in the case of marijuana, would be decriminalization.  The government would not regulate the industry; instead, they could monitor the sale of the plant to minors, insuring that everyone who chooses to buy marijuana is an adult(just like cigarettes).
404222
DRUGS SHOULD BE LEGALIZED\n\n1) Govt. would make more money than they do off ciggs\n2) If it is legal not so many people will do it (for all u anti-drug ppl)\n3)It will open room in our jail cells for real criminals instead of users\n4)If it is legal you can set rules and regs. on them along w/ no driving if you are on them (which doesnt always work but it does sometimes, and if it doesnt work, it wont work while they are illegal either)\n5) The drugs are getting done either way, people are doing the same things while they are on the drugs either way, and the money being made off them is going to ppl to make more drugs OR TO TERRORISTS! so by legalizing these drugs the money will go to the U.S and we know that the terrorist groups are getting no money and we can put the money towards something usefull.\n6) NO ADVANTAGES TO HAVING DRUGS STAY ILLEGAL...LEGALIZE THEM!!!
958756
These are different issues.  Abortion is legal but drugs are not legal.\n\nActually, I think the US should legalize some drugs and pot and make money taxing the substances.
99366
I believe it should be legalized...  my reasoning is that the LAW ruins peoples lives over a stupid charge of possession, the drug itself does not realy hurt anyone directly, however, the irrational, irrisponsible, and/or wreckless things people do under it's influence can... but same could be said for alcohol...\n\nI used to use it... but I quit...