Marijuana, good or bad, why is it banned?
825834
Sixteen years ago Glaxo-Klein first started it's larger spending on lobbyists to make sure that marijuana was kept illegal in this country.  Why?  Because a study the year before found that smoking just a tiny tiny bit would eradicate a headache within seconds.  Yes.....Seconds.  Marijuana is one of the most efficient pain killers that we have on the planet today and there is test after test after test proving so... And now, between the big four pharm. companies, they spent over 100Million last year alone to get laws passed or trials for medical marijuana overturned.  Pot can help AIDS patients for 20.00 dollars a month more so that someone spending 500 dollars a month on pharm. drugs.  I could go on and on, but you get the picture.  be well, be high, Jack
852294
It is illegal because there is no way for the U.S. to regulate and tax it. People would just grow it in their backyards. This is the REAL reason, not because it is a "gateway" drug. (If people want to do drugs, it is because they choose too, not because they got high and the joint said "Hey, you like this? Try Heroin!!" I've smoked marijuana many times before, but it has never made me want to try anything else.)
580102
Bad argument, as there are probably ample numbers of  accidents by people driving while high.\n\nThe better argument is why did the country decide that it needed to be illegal in the first place? Is there anything in the Constitution that gives them this power? [no]\n\nThis is what happens when you let do-gooders make laws that limit your freedoms, for your own good, of course. Like making it illegal to smoke tobacco in 'public' places. These are areas that no level of government in the US has the authority to go, yet they do it, because enough people have given those corrupt idiots the power.\n\nI don't smoke it, I don't want to smoke it, but by god, the Constitution as written gave me the freedom to choose to if I did want to. \n\nThat's what the real problem is. Our government's abandoning of the principles of the Constitution.
1013069
Im 18\nmarijuana is the most commonly uses illegal substance in the United States. it is used by many people, most of which aren't your stereotypical "druggie", with no life agead of them. Many of them hapen to be very successful, good people. Think about it almost if not every person who reads this paper will know (even if they don't realize it) at least one if not several regular users of marijuana. Its often made out to be much more harmful htan it really is, unfortunatly not every one realizes this. \n\nWhat many people don't realize is marijuana is much less harmful than alcohol or tobacco. Yet it's the one of the three that gets a bad rap and is illegal. Marijuana isn't even physicaly addicting. You certanly don't see meetings for marijuana like you do with alcohol and AA. Unfortunatly due to American culture the less harmful of the three is illegal.\n\nThe most common reason why marijuana can be harmful is that people can often come across laced marijuana without realizing it. Marijuana can easily be mixed with other more harmful drugs with out the buyer realizing it, until they have already used it. This is a dangerous thing that causes many people to do more harmful, hard core drugs without realizing it. If it were to be legalized the government could provide guide lines, like it does with alchol  to insure that people knew what they were putting into their bodies.\n\nMarijuana actually has many helpful benefits toward diseases / sicknesses. Marijuana can reduce nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused by AIDS. It can Reduce interlobular pressure, which alleviates the pain and slowing and sometimes even stopping the progress of glaucoma. Common side effects of chemotherapy are nausea, loss of appetite, and vomiting, all of which marijuana would help. It can limit muscle pain and relieve tremor nad unsteadiness of gait for multiple sclerosis patients. Marijuana can help prevent epileptic seizures in some patients. It can also alleviate chronic, often debilitating pain caused by myriad disorders and injuries. Each one of these applications have been deemed legitimate by at least one United States court, legislature, and/or government agency.\n\nDue to these reasons and many others many people are going to jail/prison on a daily basis due to simply smoking a little pot These aren't dangerous criminals that would kill or rape someone. Many of them are teachers, lawyers and respected members of their communities. But yet we still pay thousands of dollars of tax payers money to lock up non dangerous "criminals" yearly even though most aren't going to stop after they get out of jail. Don't you think the money spent here is a waste? Couldn't it be going to more useful things such as hospitals, disease research, or better schools? These are the things that would benifit the people of this country. Certanily you would rather benefit the people more than throwing a non violent pot head in jail who was only trying to smoke a joint and relax after a long days work in jail. There is up to forty million regular (note thats just the regular not occasional users) drug users in the United states. If we were to throw all of them in jail it would cost $500,000 per million people, plus the cost and space of building many more prisons. Couldm't that money be spent on building hospitals? There's already about 1.5 million people tax payers are paying to keep in jail over drugs. From 1990 to 2003, nearly 5.9 million people had been arrested for smoking marijuana. Thats a greater number than the entire population of Alaska, Delaware, The District of Columbia, Montania, North and South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming combined. This country simply can't afford to put 40 million more in jail.\n\nMarijuana should be legalized. It has many uses such as helping sick patients. People are going to smoke it no matter what the government sais, and with out govenment guidelines thi
581200
I say no for three reasons.\n\nOne: It's harmful to others. Anything that gives off smoke not only harms the user, but those around him. If its illegal, people won't use it in public, and it won't be as harmful to those not wishing to use it\n\nTwo: It impairs judgement. We have enough stupid decisions. And as for people who say that so does alcohol, marijuana has a much more permanent effect on judgement than alcohol.\n\nThree: It debilitates the workforce. People on Marijuana are unmotivated, generally. That's not a good thing for society.\n\nAnd as for those people who claim its for medical use, there is a prescription drug that is concentrated THC, so there's no need to legalize marijuana plants. \n\nThat's my two cents.
463165
According to most research on the subject, alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana.  Alcohol, in moderation, does have benefits, though.  When either is used in excess, you see health problems and diseases.  Marijuana is not addictive, alcohol is.  Both can cause accidents.  Of the two, I'd rather be around a pot smoker than a drunk, but that's just my opinion.
1117538
i think it is bad because the scientist guy is absolutly correct.\nI smoke pot fo remotional reasons. i f I dont smoke i will have an anxiety attack, and marijuan mellows me out. I smoke from the second I wake up, to the secnd I go to bed. I am succesful, but at work I have to write everything down or i will forget! i know its from the pot
818273
Society defines what is acceptable drug use and what is abuse. It does not have to make sense because its all wrapped up in the politics of drugs. \n\nMixing drugs isn't really abuse its just stupid, which has no cure other than when the stupid manage to kill themselves. Using a minor drug like marijuana to control pain may be illegal but it is not abuse. Using marijuana to get high is drug abuse, so is using alcohol to get drunk.
985944
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
688591
I'm sure the MJ is bad for your health, smoking anything is going to be unhealthy but I'm pretty sure tobacco is worse.  In fact there are a large number of scientist that believe that marijuana is by far the safest illegal drug and is safer then tobacco and alcohol.  Which leaves the question why is marijuana illegal while alcohol and tobacco are legal?  That would take some time to explain.\n\nI've heard that a joint has the same amount of tar as 8 cigerettes, but this is from an anti-marijuana ad which are known to lie or stretch the truth.  What they don't mention is the size of the joint.  They also don't take into account that joints are filterless as well as they are typically passed around in a group.  Cigerettes are typically not passed around and a person will smoke far more cigerettes in a day.\n\nBasically the largest risk of marijuana is accidents or mistakes made because of being high.  An inexperienced user may feel that they are dying but just calming the person down is the best treatment.\n\nIf stuff like this really interest you then I suggest a book for you to look at.\n\n"Buzzed," by Cynthia Kuhn,Ph.D., Scott Swartzwelder,Ph.D., and Wikie Wilson,Ph.D.\n\nit contains valuable information about almost every drug you could think of from Alcohol, Caffeine, marijuana, tobacco, etc.\n\nsorry for the long answer but people get the wrong impression of marijuana based solely on the fact that it is illegal
357045
no, nothing major. The goverment just wants you to believe it is just as bad as smoking Cigs. Mary Jane is all natural from the earth. If God didn't want us to smoke, it wouldn't grow. It helps too many sick people survive without pain. How can that be a bad thing?
52970
Pot is illegal because the War on Drugs is a cash cow for the government. And it also keeps undesirables - minorities, the poor, criminals - under control. It is a lot easier to bust a black kid with pot on him and get him convicted than a white kid. It's all part of the hate machine that our government's becoming.\nHey Figato - go ask your kids for a joint, smoke it, and chill the heck out man.
350826
Hell yeah its bad for you. Don't even contemplate doing it (hope it's not too late). It's hard enough to get good grades, get a good job, and compete intellectually in society. Why hinder yourself by destroying your brain cells, reducing your memory, response time, and making it harder to focus, eliminate 90% of possible job opportunities due to the fact that you cant pass a drug test, increased possibility of getting involved with other drugs (it's a given that if you smoke weed you most likely smoke cigarettes, increased probability of going to jail(get caught with enough of it and your going to jail), etc. \n****WEED IS BAD**** I wish rappers wouldn't glorify that @#%!.
504301
I would cancel the law that made marijuana illegal.  It has so many beneficial uses for cancer patients, anorexics, and people who suffer from other ailments.  It's a shame that truly sick people have to buy it off of the black market just for some relief.
611498
i believe that it is a crime everywhere (federal law, and upheld by the supreme court) to have anything dealing with a marijuana plant in your possession, and also paraphanalia.  interestingly enough, in most places, it isnt illegal to actually smoke it, except if you are driving.
784813
That is a good question that I don't have an answer for, but will probably be pondering for the next few days. I just wanted to say your question is the reason weed is illegal--because it does make intelligent people think. The govt would rather we drink beer and stay fat and stupid.
194897
Why WOULDN'T pot be legal?  Lets talk about what is legal and what is not legal... Alcohol is legal - People can get drunk all they want.  The fact is when people get drunk, they often get violent, and alcohol is a leading cause of family violence.  With weed, the worst thing people do is get the giggles and crave fast food.  Pot is not like other drugs (IE coke or other chemical drugs).  Pot is not physically addictive.  Its a natural plant from the earth, not processed in any way.  How can a PLANT from God be illegal?