Should marijuana be legal?

The amount of support for legalization is overwhelming! Twenty five million Americans currently use it, millions more non-users are fed up with funding a prohibition that returns nothing of benefit to them. The prohibition has caused huge distrust towards the government and the police. Legalization is the *only* thing that can put that right. Marijuana doesn't kill brain cells. Nor does it cause emphysema or any type of cancer. It can't be od'ed on and it's never caused a single fatality, ever. Legalization will force the criminals out of the marijuana market and allow for age-based restrictions to be placed on its sale. These are good things that must be supported.

Agreed. You would think they would learn from prohibition - making marijuana illegal has pushed it underground and made it a dangerous market... legalize it and you can regulate it and tax it so it will both be safe and generate revenue, not to mention save police time and money fighting this fake war on drugs. To any that still think it should be illegal - why? As long as they are not hurting anyone, how is a responsible adult smoking a natural plant for medical or recreational purposes ANY of the government's business?

A question for dinasours.

I suffer with massive depression and if i ever inhale smoking pot i know for a fact this leaf that is natured grown would give me a relief of my mood swings and sleep disorders and also would give me a lift with feeling a pleasure in stead of being prescribed drugs that i must suffer with side effects as i did being prescibed ZYPREXA made from eli lilly which gave me DIABETES type two for life in which there was no warning label on the drug and the FDA said that we once tested it and its safe but the FDA had said for years that pot is a addictive and dangerous and need more study - to me that is BULL and the drug companies do pay much money to keep Marijuana in the dark closet to our Washington Elected official s - WE NEED CHANGE and WE NEED THIS LEAF which is nick name reefer or pot for people to be allowed to smoke it who suffers with physical or emotional pain to be allowed and the LAWS REMOVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE from NUNZIO BAGLIERE SYRACUSE N.Y EMAIL NUNZIO61@VERIZON.NET

think about this, say you have a city with 2 concerts going on, one only serves liquor, the other only provides marijuana. The police captain ask's for volunteers. Now unless you have officers that just love using their night stick, ALL would sign up for the one with marijuana use...and liquor is legal??? sheeeesh

Yes! it should be legal. We waste too much money prosecuting people for using this harmless plant.

Tax it. Everybody wins, no money is lost. Either regulate and distribute it through taxable channels. Or ticket those that do it publicly. Easy fix, without loss of revenue. We don't need baby sitters when it comes to recreation on a non-lethal substance. There's far worse substances you can legally obtain. This hypocrisy must end.

I agree--let's tax it. Marijuna is California's most valuable cash crop. If we taxed it, that's be enough money to pay for universal healthcare...not to mention the money saved for paying for prison terms.

No, its just a starter drug and one of the reasons crime is out of control. Montel Williams behind this? Please. Tax it? Just how is the typical pot head going to pay a tax on it, without stealing something to do so?

Alex, most potheads I know have jobs. Yes, if your the type to move on to harder drugs then Marijuana is a logical step on the path downward, but so would be perscription pain killers like Vicodin and Perkaset, and those are legal. Someone who's willing to steal to get their "fix" isn't doing it for pot, as it is not the kind of habit forming substance that would cause these dependancies.

Visit MPP's website, they have a lot of information as well as click to send notes of support to people in power. Educate yourself and work for change. Each of us together is strong, we can do it, words on blogs will mostly be forgotten, but your vote will not! Legalization will happen, when we work together. We are strong together. Legalize!

"No, its just a starter drug and one of the reasons crime is out of control. Montel Williams behind this? Please. Tax it? Just how is the typical pot head going to pay a tax on it, without stealing something to do so?" A starter drug? What about caffeine? Tylenol? Sugar? Chocolate? Antidepressants handed out like candy by doctors for any ailment? The lies stop NOW. Marijuana is a harmless plant of nature, it is expensive because of the war waged on it. Legalize marijuana and the price drops. All plants should be legal, the war should be waged on METH and other harmful substances bastardized from drug store shelves. Big pharma is the real drug dealer, with a TLA protecting them from competition from citizens. The lies about marijuana are being peeled away by truth from MPP, NORML, and other like minded organizations. Read about Marc Emery (BC3), and others who have fought for freedom. Private prisons, law enforcement, big pharma, alcohol pushing corporations, and more all profit from marijuana being illegal. Search Google News for "marijuana" and read about how many people have their lives ruined because of the rabid obsession with waging war on marijuana. Article after article about marijuana being found and people's lives being ruined. It's immoral for tax dollars to go to this type of filth. Educate and legalize, the real "pot" heads are not the people smoking marijuana, but the losers enforcing a war on our civil liberties. Support sanity, legalize, and focus law enforcement's attention on real criminals. Put an end to drug lord's use of marijuana as a source of income, legalize and watch marijuana's price fall. Visit LEAP's (law enforcement AGAINST prohibition) website and learn more.

Alex: you seem sooo misinformed about marijuna, its users, and the fantastic potential for tax it can provide.

Its not a "Gateway" Drug: There have been more than enough studies (one of the most important ones was conducted by UC Berkley), which shows that marijuna is not a "gateway" drug...people who are inclined to drug abuse will abuse hard drugs rather they try weed first or not.

What exactly is a Pot Head?: It always amazes me when people say that weed is for criminals, druggies, or unmotivated people...I live in a VERY affluent neighborhood of highly successful professionals, and you can't go down the street without smelling marijuna coming out people's windows. These aren't so-called "pot heads" these are productive, law abiding citizens who enjoy alittle herb.....And I am a successful business person, and I smoke weed...all of my friends (mostly doctors, lawyers, and other professionals) smoke weed also....none of us use any harder drugs. Most people tend to use it as a way to relax (similar to a cocktail).

We can't make generalized judgements about something based on old-school opinions.

The Governor of California says that Marijuana is not a drug. It's a leaf!

To Alex: I forgot to discuss how taxing marijuna could work. We make billions of sales tax from tobacco through assessing a sales taxes. The way it works is actually quite simple:

Step 1 (License Distributors): The state/federal government will license distributors (stores, pharmacists, or private businesses) to sell it.

Step 2 (Collecting Taxes): The Fed/state government empowers the distributors assess a sales tax at the point of sale. And they send in the taxes the have assessed on a quarterly basis...

Therefore, Alex, taxation working isn't reliant on the "trpical pot heads" remembering to pay taxes...

Wow, the weed heads, rich or poor, they are weed heads, are out in force with the twisted logic that being stoned is a good thing, amazing. Thank God it will never be legalized, but, thanks for giving all the reasons why it is and should remain a illegal drug. Next you'll be saying crack should be legal since it too "relaxs' people. What about meth? The government has no business in the drug business, when they can't even handle every day issues that affect people, and, the last thing this country needs is another government agency that does not work and people paid too much to do it. Let those who need it medically get it medicinally, I have no issue with it, but, those who want to get a fix or whatever it is it gives you, keep on paying the thugs who sell it.

Comparing weed to crack and meth is one of the dumbest arguments I've ever heard. Crack is a stimulant by they way, never tried it, but I know it definitely doesn't relax you. Alex I bet you've never even tried smoking weed you just feel like having an opinion on it. I don't see how anyone who has ever been high could reasonably defend the amount of money being spent trying to stop its supposed "dangerous" effects. I'm about to graduate from a well respected university with a 4.0 and I smoke all the time. I think everyone needs to just relax and quit fighting the issue when keeping it illegal doesn't make it any harder for me to buy it, it just costs everyone money pretending like it does.

Alex, please leave lillyville for a second. I do not and have not ever smoked weed. But I know many who do, lawyers and doctors included. Comparing a natural leaf to a manufactured drug is akin to comparing water to isopropyl alcohol. Suggesting the "feel good" factor of weed is akin to a crack heads fix is also silly. Both alcohol and cigarettes also provide a feel good factor. You don't have to be a "head" to consume those.

I'm a 20 (21 in 11 days) year old college student about to start my senior year with a 3.6 gpa and Ive already been accepteed to the law school of my choice and I smoke weed...I love it and how it makes me think...I smoke a blunt and turn on cnn and msnbc and argue with my tv!!! Who the hell am I hurting? If I could buy a pack of joints for 5 bucks it would save me money and make more for the gov't!

To Alex: you just sound angry and a bit ignorant to the realities of this. You have a right to have an opinion, but you are just offering one for the sake of being oppositional. I am clear that we will not change your mind (and if we do, you clearly wouldn't admit it).

To EVERYONE ELSE: be encouraged, marijuna is damn-near legal in california, and 11 other states already allow it to be distributed under regulation...in Ney York, you can have over an ounce of weed on you without any prosecution!

...legalizations OBVIOUSLY near!

Alex, you're not playing with a full deck.

Funny, I thought Montel would be out trying to talk more about implants and peroxide blondes! M1450, if someone is not for drug use, legal, or not, does not make them bitter, keep it real or slow the roll with the weed, not every one needs to relax, feel good or get high with chemicals, even weed, booze or anything else. The whole world does not need it nor use it, and, most are not 'angry' nor as ignorant as you are for assuming that its good for all peeps, get your freak on how you want, but, don't think eveyone else needs 'help' in doing so. Your rants are showing one of the side effects, LOL!

Boy, all these posts for me, how special, which, I find hilarious, shows, too much weed does make you people nuts and unemployed since, you seem to think one person opinion on a blog is one that matters with your ILLEGAL, and, right now, like it or not it is ILLEGAL drug use. Keep on toking, it will never make it past the people who count, the Supreme Court. Now, grab your bong and go for it, get back to me when you make sense with your hazy at best comments. For a drug that is to make you mellow, the trip the posters here seem like one bad acid trip. I guess the posters here really do define the term, stone trip, and, bad one at that.

Americans,

You must continue your "war on drugs." Hashish is our primary source of funding in 2008. Without drug laws in the United States creating a gross imbalance between Afghanistan's hashish market and that of the United States, the Taliban will not be able to afford new rocket propelled grenades and AK-47s for our holy war. Our organization cannot thrive without being gifted hundreds of millions of dollars for plants that cost mere pennies to grow.

Sincerely yours,
Taliban

Just thought I'd chip in, Alex- the Supreme Court has absolutely no power in legislative measures other than assessing whether a law is constitutional or not. The US Supreme Court has also already rendered a verdict on whether marijuana laws are constitutional, specifically, that it is not covered in the constitution and a purely legislative measure. They will have absolutely no bearing on the legalization of mj. And I do have to say, judging by I would call, say, your criminal lack of understanding of your country's legal system, I would conclude that you're a troll.

Willie: Please don't put words in my mouth....I called Alex's comments "angry" because of their overall tone; that comment has nothing to do with him disagreeing with legalization...NOR did i say anything about "everyone" needing to "feel good or get high with chemicals, even weed, booze or anything else..." Those are your words--not mine.

Secondly, I called Alex's position "ignorant" based on him saying that marijuna is a "starter drug" and because of the ridiculous generalizations he put forth about all users of marijuna, i.e. "thugs," "unemployed," etc.

as for your comment about "side affects" of marijuna guiding my comments on this forum....You don't know me, or anything about me. SO either make a valid point about the issue at hand, or direct your unsolicited comments elsewhere :-)

Two snaps to OckhamsFolly for that flawless rebuttal!!!

I would love to give a comment about marijuna, I believe that it should be legalize because it's something that can be very relaxing and comfort for your soul and mind because, I know from experience because I sometimes suffer from depression and it would be nice to have something that come from earth.It's a "Herb" not a "Drug!"

Alex you are a troll. You're assuming that everyone who wants legalization wants to consume marijuana. Well you're wrong. The prohibition does *nothing* to benefit the lives of non-users. It doesn't make them richer, it doesn't make them safer, it doesn't return to them anything of worth for all the billions they pour into it every year. They don't want your repugnant prohibition and neither do we!

Well, technically speaking, no, marijuana itself is not a drug, it is a plant. However, THC IS a drug, even if it is a fairly benign and naturally occurring drug. Caffeine and nicotine are also drugs found naturally occurring in plants. Being a drug, however, should have no bearing on it's legality. The number one reason why it should be legal is that the government should not have any say about what we decide to put in our own bodies. Behind that, we have all the problems that marijuana being illegal causes, specifically all the issues that are inherent in the black market. With the black market, we have increased violence due to drug running. We have environments in which drug pushers have easy access to people looking for marijuana, and can easily turn them onto another drug (half of the true cause of the "gateway drug" theory). We have a system with absolutely no standards of quality- sure, it's unlikely a bag of marijuana will be laced (it's far too expensive), but it's possible, and it's also possible that it can be cut with other substances that are cheaper to increase profit margins. We have the possibility of funds going to organized crime rackets. We also have issues due to the propagandist nature of prohibition. The government IS lying to the people about marijuana. Many teenagers discover this when they try it for themselves. After that, what is to cause them to believe that the government is telling the truth about other drugs? This is another factor in causing marijuana to be seen as a "gateway drug." Prohibition causes other issues on the government side of things, namely the misuse of billions of the tax payers dollars. It's true that relatively few people get jail time these days due to simple marijuana possession, but even arresting, processing, and sentencing those people cost more than the government makes. Additionally, the money spent on pursuing higher ups in the black market marijuana business is wholly unnecessary. With legalization and production and distribution licensing similar to tobacco, growers' markets would dry up (they could never match the bottom line of large scale producers, so they couldn't charge as little), and the marijuana black market would collapse- there'd be no reason for it to exist. All the money being spent on marijuana law enforcement today could be spent on increasing education funding, or medical funding, or some other worthy area, or even mean lower taxes. Another issue that has come up is Medical Marijuana. Medical Marijuana is recognized by almost ever major medical association in the country. The people with major mmj diseases such as multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, and cancer are not all simply lying so they can get high. It genuinely helps them. Yet federal drug laws are preventing those people from having the most efficacious treatment for their illnesses. Another excellent reason for legalization of marijuana is that marijuana prohibition also currently blocks industrial use of hemp. Hemp is an exceptionally versatile plant, which can be used for production of fabrics, fuel, foodstuffs,plastic, lotions, paper... it's an exceptionally useful product which could majorly help our economy. However, due to the fact that the major differences between high thc cannabis which is smokeable (for the sake of simplicity, marijuana) and low thc cannabis which isn't (hemp) is mostly how you grow it (genetics can obviously affect it, but even a high thc strain can be grown as hemp, and vice versa), industrial hemp simply isn't viable under federal law. As we wind through the arguments for marijuana legalization, we also have the arguments which are, in my opinion, among the weakest valid ones for marijuana legalization: why have marijuana illegal when alcohol and tobacco are legal? It is a fact that marijuana is indeed more benign; marijuana has never been reported to directly cause any death. Additionally, there is no documented case in which a person developed lung cancer due to smoking marijuana; and, in fact, it appears that among people who smoked both tobacco and marijuana, cancer rates are lower. Even with that concern, all of the carcinogenic properties of marijuana are caused by the inhalation of burnt matter, an unnecessary form of use. One could eat the marijuana or even vaporize it, which vaporizes only the THC and other cannabinoids if done properly. Marijuana is not physically addictive, and has no associated withdrawal symptoms. However, to me, this argument comes off as more of an argument for making alcohol and tobacco illegal than legalizing marijuana. So, while it's safety is certainly a mark in its favor, I would never make this the cornerstone argument in a debate about legalization. There are many reasons why marijuana should be legal. Even the initial report done by the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse, commissioned by Nixon, found that marijuana prohibition was unwise. Efforts at national marijuana law reform is too long in coming. (Note- I apologize if the spaces between paragraphs are a bit too large... last time, I was sure I had a space in my post, but it's not there, and the preview button doesn't seem to work, so I figured I'd better add an extra space, because this is far too large for one big wall of text)

I was afraid that would happen... why do carriage returns not create paragraph breaks? If anyone can tell me how, I'd be happy to go through and put them in, so an admin or something can delete that montrosity of a comment... no one should have to read something like that.

OckhamsFolly: To create a paragraph place "

" between the paragraphs...remove the "" though

OckhamsFolly: To create a paragraph place < p > < P > remove the spaces between the arrows and the P

It's time for change. Marijuana is a plant.

Well, being high is a neccessary human experience since the beginning of time: hence a plant to help you do it grows naturally.

Now you can go to church if you want to go high but fact is everyone needs to get high sometime.

Being high all the time however is irresponsible. But it should not be illegal, if for instance being drunk all the time is not illegal, or being obesse is not illegal. Any substance, including food, can be abused. Anyway im convinced this a debate question for people who can't do arithmatics.

Cannabis prohibition is a crime against humanity. There will be no justice nor peace until it is available at the corner store for any adult eligible to purchase whiskey or cigars there. Alex, the atrocity is doomed. It shall not stand.

Alex, you're getting all the attention because you're the only poster so far that seems to be against it and you seem to be enjoying your trolling. You're clearly ignorant about marijuana as many posters have already shown. If you had an educated argument, you might be able to convince someone, but your arguments are based entirely on ignorance. Marijuana is a drug, let's just leave it at that. What's so bad about it? Pot smokers are generally non-violent. How many guys come home, drink a 6-pack, and beat their wives or kids? Quite a few. On the other hand, you'll rarely find cases of guys coming home, smoking a joint, and beating their wives or kids. Pot doesn't make people violent. It makes a lot of people lazy and hungry, but not violent. Marijuana doesn't cause lung cancer like cigarettes. In fact, it appears that THC actually protects against lung cancer and cigarette smokers who smoke marijuana are less likely to develop lung cancer than cigarette smokers who don't. Recent studies also suggest THC may also help prevent Alzheimer's, making it the first drug that might actually prevent the disease from occurring at all. Add to this the other medical uses, and it appears to be quite a good drug. Here are some interesting statistic: # of deaths in the U.S. caused by cigarettes: 435,000 # of deaths in the U.S. caused by alcohol: 85,000 # of deaths in the U.S. caused by marijuana: 0 (that's ZERO!) You can search the literature all you want, but nobody ever died from taking marijuana. More people die from taking aspirin (~7,600/year) Really, the argument comes down to this: Does it make sense for alcohol to be legal while marijuana is illegal? The answer seems to be pretty obvious, no! So, the two options are either legalize marijuana, or criminalize alcohol. The latter has been tried and it failed, just as the current drug war has failed again, and again, and again. So really, the main thing that needs to be done is to educate the Alexes of the world.

Troll or not, its too funny how weed heads here are trying to be rational about using and illegal drug. Save the logic for the crack pipe and bong since you are druggies without a clue, the whole world does not toke and get high. No time in reading the rants of drug addicts.

I don't understand why this issue is still even an issue. While not a smoker (of any kind) myself, I believe that alcohol and tobacco have caused far more deaths and problems than marijuana. The amount of money spent trying to "catch" the users is ridiculous and our scant prison space should be used for serious criminals. There has NEVER been scientific support for the idea that use of pot leads to the use of 'Harder" drugs. I believe in the legalization of ALL drugs (and their taxation). This will help pay for the programs for addicts that tax payors are already paying for, allow clean needles (reducing the amount of HIV/Hepatitis cases which the tax payer support via the Medicaid/Medicare programs)and let our law enforcement agents focus on the murders/sex offenders. We aren't allowed to smoke or drink at work, so why would it be any different for other chemical substances? The government needs to stay out of our personal lives. They make us pay taxes to take care of those who have these addictions, but won't let us legalize the drugs to help make up the revenue to pay for it. It just doesn't make sense!

Alex, I'm a pothead. I readily admit it. I smoke weed quite a bit, and I love it. I also manage to operate a software company (it and I pay our taxes), go to school part-time pursuing 2 degrees (3.9 GPA. Was 4.0, but blew an exam last semester), and volunteer in a lab part-time doing research in cancer drug treatments. In my past, I've been a columnist for a computer magazine, written tons of articles, and I've had a programming book published. Clearly I should be thrown in jail as I'm a menace to society. Other than trolling, what's your contribution to society.

C'mon folks, give Alex a break, and some credit for his brilliant and irrefutable logic: "Because the government says so"! It's too bad the Soviet Union collapsed; it seems Alex would be much more at home in the land of infallible government - where merely questioning their infallibility could get you 25 years in a work camp.

In what vision of a free country do we imprison responsible citizens because they enjoy the flower of a plant or the extract of a grape? We tried banning the grape years ago and what happened? Mass incarceration, criminalization of ordinary citizens, organized crime, violent battles for control of a lucrative black market, violation of individual rights and and loss of respect for law enforcement. Does any of that sound familiar?

Does Santayana ring true, Alex? Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

I am surprised and glad that so many of the commenters here are talking about systemic change. Prohibition didn't work.

Thanks ALEX!!!!

Your ignorant responces really motivated the commenters to post some excellent points that support legalization of MJ. While they were arguing with you I was being educated me about all of this...

Its sad that you weren't able to benefit from the knowledge being communicated.... but not all was lost; some of us are walking away a bit more educated about this!

They may not have changed your mind (nor did I expect them to), but I am SOLD...LEGALIZE IT!

Guns and tanks and riot gas can't stop you from smoking grass Listen to me people and I'll tell you true marijuana is good for you (lyrics from White Witch's song "It's So Nice To Be Stoned" circa mid 70's)

on behalf of the mannsville mafia, norml is the finest political group in existance. why is marijuana illegal when alchohol inpairs your ability to function as a human being when cannibis sativa does not. please tell me.

the mannsville mafia has it right. I have seen alcohol ruin many bright lives all by itself. In all of the years I have been on this planet, the only way that I have seen Mary Jane ruin lives is with the penalties imposed on smokers.

I think that we need better spokesman to voice the opinions of the people. Someone needs to take stand, get on the news, be heard and I am so glad that congress (as far as I can tell) is taking this debate seriously. Marijuana is not harmful; its impairment is notable but not as strong as alcohol which takes countless lives on our streets, in our homes and through out every day life (approximately half a millions life American life's are taken each year due to alcohol alone). I cant see how marijuana can be be criticised as dangerous and harmful if there are no know cancer patients, no addicting qualities and no illness derived from it such as alcoholism. I just recently found out that there was debates on the legalisation of marijuana and am totally in favor for medical and recreational. Hundreds of billions of tax payers dollars go towards a cause that isn't harming anyone but the tax payers. Also an enormous profit could benefit our slowly declining economy. I think that congress has spent billions of dollars trying to stop something that most non-user don't care if there next door neighbor does it. I mean would you care if your next door neighbor was drunk; well maybe cause it can cause anger, violent behavior and other non wanted actions. In retrospect, I think as Americans we should voice our opinions and legalize marijuana. Not only is there medical treatments for depression, chronic illnesses and pain, it is a safe recreational drug that I would consider much more safe that alcohol or tobacco which kill almost a total of 500,000 Americans a year. How can congress not pass a bill to generate revenue, stop crime (and free up police ofc. for violent crimes) and please the one third of Americans that agree with its legalisation.

I just wanted to say to everyone talking with Alex that dont worry about him keep making the points you have but Alex tries to make himself look better by calling the people for marijuana names, thinking thats going to get to them. When really he looks like a fat nerd that just never fit in to understand. He should know that people out there have there 'ways' to deal with there everyday lives and well, you have seen how he is acting he must not understand he needs to light one up so he can chill out. Anyway I say that it should be legalized because its no worse than the legal substances out there alcohol, cigs, and all the other, plus they say Government cares about money so why aren't they doing the smart thing? TAX it and Alex dont worry you have nothing worth stealing haha and no they dont steal.... okay so quit with the stupid sterotype that has nothing to do with MARIJUANA

Dearest Alex, IMHO, you are just a simple-minded hater. A dime-a-dozen internet troll. You appear to be incapable of having an open and honest debate about cannabis, it's effects on human physiology and on society at large. Facts and objectivity appear to elude you, Alex. Or is it that you are simply afraid... afaid that you DON'T have a cohesive or persuavise argument? So all you can do is resort to chiding and name-calling, simply because the overwhelming majority of people here disagree with you, while providing you with verifiable facts? So, that's all you have? Perhaps, just maybe, you even realize, somewhere deep down, that you are on the WRONG side of the debate, but cannot bring yourself to admit it. Hmph. So, all you have is your destructive rhetoric, which so much worse than anything you decry here. Not too impressive, Alex. Did you know that until 1967, interracial marriage was also illegal in this country? As in AGAINST THE LAW? So, exactly how do you think immoral laws are changed, Alex? Maybe this is a bad example to use... are you a racist too? Do you hate me because I'm a white man married to a black woman? Or just because I smoke some pot to relax in the evenings? Nowadays, most rational, balanced people realize that the way white people (and many black people too) perceived this taboo back then was ridiculous, petty, and destructive. It did not promote peace, equality or prosperity to this country. Always, there were (and are) the "haters" and the "racsists" out there, spewing forth their bile, quick to name-call, threaten and berate those who didn't agree with their venom. Bless those brave souls, strong of spirit and conviction, those people who followed their HEARTS, not a wrongful law. THEY were not afraid to stand up against the likes of you, or an immoral law or government. THEY defied it, THEY fought against it, and guess what Alex? THEY won the day! Just as WE will eventually prevail against the immoral Drug War. Because WE are in the right. Truth always prevails, Alex. You can hate me because I married a beautiful black woman, if that suits you. You can hate me simply because I smoke pot, too. I guess you could hate me because I also like to drink Starbucks coffee or because I like speed on the highway. Whatever. The reality is, I could care less what you think of me, because I am too busy enjoying my life. I can only feel deeply sorry for you, because you are such a small person. Those with a good heart and love for their fellow man would never convey the kind of bile you spew forth. You obviously have a troubled, hate-filled spirit. Continue to try to infect others here with your filthy attitude and name-calling... in the end, you will lose the argument, because your words are an obvious lie. Truth will indeed prevail, and the good people of this country will eventually come to realize that this War on Drugs is wrong, it is immoral, and they will demand and receive change! Just as they did with another immoral law, Prohibition. Maybe you heard of that one Alex? Do you drink Alex? Are you a stinking drunkard alchoholic? Do you beat your wife (or your boyfriend, if that's your inclination) when you drink, Alex? Hmm... maybe you don't like being typecast either, do you Alex? I have no doubt, WE will win this fight. WE will empty the corporate "for-profit" prisons, freeing those people who have been wrongly incarcerated. WE will expunge their records of any wrongful felonies, so that they can find a good job, get a student loan to get an eductaion, or qualify for assisted housing again. WE will end the reign of terror on those that are economically challenged, and put an end to racially-biased prosecutions. WE will put an end to the viscious drug cartels bt taking away their profits. WE will put an end to para-military style break-ins of homeowners by police, simply for possesing an herb placed on Earth by the Creator. And most importantly, WE will put the DEA out of business, and place their sorry butts right into the unemployment line! I hope you are around to see it happen, Alex. It will be a beautiful thing to behold. Meanwhile, I suggest that you ease up, smoke a bowl and chill out, bro. Life's too short to hate.

Why you guys still debating about legalizing cannabis,when everybody whos a somebody is already doing it,just becoz people is involved in gorvernment dnt blaze it doesn mean we shouldnt nd besides its not like when i smoke somebody else gets high, i mean come on, i say lets all blaze if we wish. alcohol is legalised even though its da main cause of road accidents on our streets everyday, lets be hornest have you ever heard of an accident caused by someone high on weed? i dnt think so! jst like they say,dnt drink and drive,smoke n fly baby.blaze on

Most pot is not just a leaf anymore it is usually laced with other things. Cocaine is from a plant should we legalize that again. THINK NOT. Learn how to relax naturally with clean living and spirital guidance not drugs. I been around alot of pothead and they all acted like morons on pot.

Alex - take off your jack boot Nazi uniform and face the facts - you are outnumbered! "Alex uber ales" wont work and your ignorant and self serving replies only make those who do not smoke pot - yet agree with legalization join the throng of opposition to penalties for pot use. Take off your SS hat Alex - U must B wearing black wing tips, bermuda shorts, and sock garters while you try and make a case for the losing propsition of maintaining pot as illegal. Writh and squirm all U want Alex - but I'd bet a BUNDLE you yourself have no degree, job, or respect from very many people.

Heh, Alex hey man you aren't the only one thats stepped on their pedestel and shouted anti-weed. But first off, if you never tried it you don't know what you're talking about. I also was a prolific anti-weed guy, straight as an arrow till my mid 20s and I got to know a really interesting, intelligent, beautiful girl for a long time who used weed - she was highly successful, funny and I was attracted to all those qualities. So I decided to try it and its not the horrible myth that society and the government's made it out to be. And as you can see, well you are being basically out-argued by lawyers, doctors and other high-class professionals here... and let me say this. Liquor sucks. I've done my drinking, it tastes like ass, it makes me feel like crap in the morning; and for most people it turns people into violent little children with no control over themselves at all; or it promotes extremely unnecessary procreation!! Weed does not cause people to try other drugs - its still a person's CHOICE.

Peter Tosh- "legalise marijuana"- yeah more fire upon dem people who bann our herb- this herb of ours is innocent and it is not man-made it is so pure and natural- more thanks to u people of America for standing up agains this evil ruling which was in fact influenced by some idoelogies during times of unrest in our world. here in my country of South Africa the herb is illegal and when dem people smoke dey hide- but we r having a problem of dem people mixing a natural herb(marijuana) with man made drugs(nicotine and ciggarettes)- this two does not mix and immediately one mix dem that is something else and not know whether is a herb of what?? but InI think dat marijuana is an international herb and is not ony for Rasta people but almost anyone who need its service. here in South Africa i heard dem people saying Police will not arrest devoted Rastafarians who utalise the herb during thier church services- MArijuana is a global herb and it is for anyone and it got no harm. it is pure and innocent- what we must do is to give thanks and praises the the Most High Jahrastafari for such a helpful herb, instead of criticising and banning it for no good reason. More fire upon dem people who are anti-nature. RAs Mafled(www.mafled.blogspot.com) from University of Limpopo(Turfloop Campus)

All of you are so in tune to Alex's comments that most if not all completely missed the comment posted by the Taliban spokesman. I am as Red White and Blue as any American but The man is correct. Just as prohibition, Keeping it ilegal creates a Black market that funds the true Great Satan!! We can make any consumer product , and there are many websites that prove this, with Canibis that we make with Foriegn Oil and we could do it much quicker than waiting for off shore drilling. Making Canibis legal would also Employ many americans and help our economy so we can afford to pay our troops what they deserve so they could allow our bombs to take out the poppie fields Binladin is hiding in. I wish I could smoke some Has, however untill we enforce our right to be free and let the Middle East live the way they want to, I will never spend a penny on anything that funds such an abomination of such a pure religion such as the Taliban. As for Alex Maybe if Mr. Taliban would " puff Puff and pass " your way your Blood pressure wouldn't be so high!

Enforcing the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 is estimated to cost tax payers as much as $10 billion a year. Cannabis Sativa also known as hemp, pot or marijuana is an often overlooked natural renewable resource available for use in the United States. Even though parts of the plant are used as a drug, cannabis should be legalized because it has so many uses which would generate many jobs leading to more revenue for not only the farmers that grow it but also the country as a whole. Many countries use hemp for many different things. There is a very long history of humans utilizing hemp for a multitude of purposes. Some of those purposes were medical. Others reasons were religiously based. Hemp has also been used to produce countless goods commonly used such as paper and wood products and clothing. Hemp oil which is more commonly referred to as hashish has also been used to produce many products and could possibly be used to power the cars in use today. Hemp has been used for countless medical reasons throughout history. Some of those uses include asthma, arthritis, constipation and topical antibiotic purposes. Hemp has also been used as a sedative and for pain management purposes. Hemp can help control nausea as well as act as an appetite stimulant. When used as a drug the side effects are minimal compared to other drugs available for similar ailments. Early American History had large amounts of the plant cultivated for clothing, rope making, medicine and other uses. Hemp was used for barter of goods for up to a quarter of the cash value of what was being bought. At times farmers were required to grow a certain amount; particularly war times. The plant was used to make the uniforms of soldiers and many of the first U.S. flags were made from hemp. Several of our first presidents had hemp growing on their farms. Non-Medical use of hemp as a drug was introduced to America by immigrants. Most of those immigrants were Hispanic. The use of hemp as a drug spread quickly through the minority populations and artists as well as musicians. Hemp was illegalized on a federal level in 1937. The law passed was called the Marihuana Tax act of 1937. Several states had illegalized hemp prior to this act. When this law was put into effect very little evidence was given either in support or opposition of this act. Hemp was presented as a narcotic of some sort. Harry J. Anslinger was one of the proponents of this act. His reasoning for wanting hemp illegalized was the quickly spreading non-medical uses of the drug. A popular term for hemp in that time was loco weed. This term came about because the use was attributed to insanity in some individuals. Several people had admittedly committed crimes while under the influence of pot. People assumed that it was the drug that had led them to commit those crimes. Several studies were done on the use of hemp. The Indian Hemp Drugs commission conducted a report between 1893 and 1894. The conclusion of that report is: “Viewing the subject generally, it may be added that the moderate use of these drugs is the rule, and that the excessive use is comparatively exceptional. The moderate use practically produces no ill effects. In all but the most exceptional cases, the injury from habitual moderate use is not appreciable. The excessive use may certainly be accepted as very injurious, though it must be admitted that in many excessive consumers the injury is not clearly marked. The injury done by the excessive use is, however, confined almost exclusively to the consumer himself; the effect on society is rarely appreciable. It has been the most striking feature in this inquiry to find how little the effects of hemp drugs have obtruded themselves on observation. The large number of witnesses of all classes who professed never to have seen these effects, the vague statements made by many who professed to have observed them, the very few witnesses who could so recall a case as to give any definite account of it, and the manner in which a large proportion of these cases broke down on the first attempt to examine them, are facts which combine to show most clearly how little injury society has hitherto sustained from hemp drugs” (Mikuriya) Another study called the Panama Canal Zone Military Investigations conducted between 1925 and 1931 concluded that cannabis is not addictive in the common use of the word. There are no physical withdrawal symptoms commonly associated with other drugs nor does the moderate user need more of the drug to experience the same effect. No evidence suggested that use of the drug leads to insanity. During the study the individuals being watched exhibited no acts of violence while smoking pot. The study also states that a substantially higher number of individuals that have been court marshaled were done so under the influence of alcohol than marijuana. Shortly after the Tax Act of 1937 the mayor of New York also looked into the drug based on reports about the marijuana problem. The report suggested a large number of individuals including young school children were smoking the drug. The report on this study was very similar to the other two studies in that it suggested marijuana was not addictive. This report also suggested that marijuana does not act as a gateway drug as commonly taught today. The report did not find any correlation between the use of marijuana and criminal acts. These studies, while not as scientific as the kinds of studies that might be conducted in present times, comprise many of the in-depth studies done on the use of marijuana as a drug. There are currently many proposed medical uses for marijuana in the United States. Many doctors that have been polled said they would prescribe marijuana to certain patients. Most of those patients are suffering nausea from cancer treatments or HIV. For many people marijuana stimulates the appetite and acts an anti-nausea. Marijuana has also shown promise in the reduction or control of several chronic pain conditions. People who struggle through school and life with ADHD might also find a diminution of symptoms while using marijuana. Compared to many of the drugs available today to treat the number of problems marijuana can help with, the side effects of marijuana are in most cases far fewer. The most common effects of marijuana are an increase in appetite which in some patients would be beneficial. Marijuana also produces dry mouth and blood shot eyes. Some people also suffer from anxiety and short-term memory loss. Marijuana also speeds up the heart rate and can raise the blood pressure of the person using the drug. When compared to the drugs used for ADHD the side effects are rather mild. The side effects for one of the more common medications prescribed for ADHD called Concert, include but are not limited to; hostility, tics, headache and psychosis, just to name a few. Another beneficial use of cannabis could greatly reduce deforestation which is a huge problem world wide. Countless trees are cut down every year to make paper products and materials to build houses, furniture, and other goods that use wood products. Conservation of forests is very important for the planet as a whole. Trees take many years to replenish themselves. Hemp is one of the resources available that could allow for the conservation of those forests. About one acre of hemp could provide the raw material that approximately four acres of trees would provide. Hemp would also renew itself yearly. The stalks of hemp could be made into chipboard or paper products. The outer coat of the plant can be and has been made into strong ropes and cloth material that could be made into many different things. Hemp can be made into something very like tofu. Since most of the chemical called Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the chemical that produces the ‘high’, is found in the oil outside the plant. Forming and eating this ‘tofu’ would not lead to the inebriating effects. As well as tofu hemp can be made into milk as well as other traditionally dairy products like ice cream, cheese and butter. The seeds can be eaten much like peanuts and other seeds or ground into something like peanut butter. Hemp is an excellent source of protein as well as essential fatty and amino acids. Hemp can also grow in almost any climate. Many parts of this world suffer from lack of food available. Teaching the people who are suffering from starvation how to grow hemp and how to make it into an edible form could go a long way towards their self sufficiency and ending world hunger. With all these possible uses available for cannabis countless jobs could be created by legalizing cannabis in the United States. As well as creating jobs, the amount of revenue created for U.S. citizens as well as government in the taxation of those products and added incomes could possibly be in the billions of dollars yearly. Currently the hemp products used in the U.S. are imported. The legalization of hemp in the U.S. could lead to some negative effect as well. More people would probably start using it as a non-prescribed drug. Legalizing cannabis in the U.S. could possibly increase crime to an extent by leading to more robberies of stores or people for money to buy it. Some very thorough and specific regulation would need to be implemented before allowing it to be grown in the U.S.

Ok. finaly watching the debate in front of my eyes i can safely say Alex you are ignorant. Im 18 years old and still a kid. since i was three i have been suffering from leval 5 asthma and the docters say it will never go away. And you know what. im an avid pot smoker and will be for the rest of my life. Unlike Tobacco Marijuana is a lung inhancer. Instead of Constricting the lungs it avidly expands them. expecialy for me. Instead of having to stay in ICU once a month due to reaccuring attacks, i know can run around the block. I can get out and be the kid that for the first time in 18 years of my life i was confined not to be. all of these "Potheads" you talk about dont hit crack pipes you idiot. Number one if on both marijuana would no longer give you the "fix" you are refering to. Second to assume the all pot heads are unemployed thieves is a... Hate to say it... but a seriuos misaccusation straight from the mouth of a Dumb @$$. so alex keep thinking that sitting behind your computer and making yourself sound smart is a hard thing to do. You obviously have been picked on your entire life while now your are making up for lost ground. My point is Marijuana is illegal while tobacco and beer made from hops IS legal. Where's the since in that realy. Hundreds upon hundreds of people die each year due to hops and tobacco. never in the history of mankind has someone died due to intake of marijuana. You can set there and say it will never be legal, yet the only reason you say it is to get a rise out of people. so Good #&$%*&# job you accomplished what your small mind set out to do. Oh by the way Im sorry for getting on this blog and venting anger twords people. but come on. you guys actualy replied to his blog. somehow im sure you guys knew this would happen

IT will never be legal for recreational use because it is a drug and just because alcohol is legal gives NO purpose or reason to legalize ANOTHER DRUG just to make people feel good. My friend is in prison serving 7 yrs for distribution and possesion of weed, if I were him, legalizing marijuana would piss me off. He's 3 yrs into his sentence sucks for him if they legalize it 3yrs of his life are already gone. Not to mention ALL the dealers who served time or are serving time would be a little upset i'd think. Who is going to give them their time back and no they will not be happy cuz their cause has been heard. Alot of them are not martyrs for the legalization of marijuana just dealers. Oh and by the way my friend does NOT and will NEVER smoke pot he just sold it to people who are "NOT" addicted.. Whatever! ALL DRUGS ARE BAD LEGAL OR NOT INCLUDING ALCOHOL. Try prohibition again in a recession it didn't work and making marijuana legal would just say it's o.k. to smoke it. Look at ciggerettes they will soon be illegal. Merry CHRISTmas!!!

I work construction and if asked who I would rather work with - someone that was up till 10 drinking his/her face off - or someone that was up till 10 smoking his/her face off... Answer is easy I have experienced both. mmmmmmmm some one that shrunk their brain for a day or some one that had a great sleep. The biggest argument I hear is the gate way drug dangers. But the 16 year old kid going to a dealer and seeing other drugs like meth and coke is the gate - and if the dealer dose not have the pot, the coke is sold. The early exposure to under world activity can be a real lure for the young and impressionable. We need a system that will allow people to challenge the Gov on it's policy's and demand the truth told - but what planet is that... No one ever died from smoking pot unless a cop shot him... Politicians must STOP their attack on our youth with this malicious law that exposes our youth to hard drugs and hardened criminal elements. SHAME on all of them...!

I think marijuana has its place in our society it has just been given a bad name for being found in the possesion of psychos.I have been using it for quite a long time and i can tell you i am no criminal i love my children and participate in all their after school activities and have a very christian background.Speaking of which they never said anything wrong about marijuana in the scriptures.I also believe that it could raise this country out of its financail crisis.They can make fuel,clothing,lotions,medicines, and food just to mention a few things it is able to be manufactured into.I think this should be treated just like cigaretes tax the sale of marijauna.I also think it is a peaceful herbal substance and i beleive it would detur alot of street violence and cut the money from going to the bad guys and put it in the hands of the government to fight the opposition. Make love not war as long as its your wife or you might start a war. Peace out, Jason and God Bless you all

First of Alex you must be the dumbest smart person I ever had the pleasure of reading of. As soon as you cannot win the argument, you convert to name-calling. Like a 12 year old kid. Therefore, I hope for your sake you are not over the age of 21 for if you are and your giving this sort of behavior on-line I can only think how you are in person. Moreover, just that makes me thankful that there are people out there that are not so narrow-minded like you. Secondly, I do not know your upbringing but my Mom told me never to call people names. In addition, by saying this all of you should realize life is truly too short to argue around a bush with narrow-minded little “grown-up’s” who think its there right to say what you and I can and cannot do.

There is nothing wrong with marijuana its just that since the govement has no control of crime and trying to make it right by legalazing prostitute and gays regadless how this is going to affect the future (our children) and keep on having the bad image about legalizing the ganja "no gain of tax".i think he is very stupid cause he wont have control of everything cause his not the ruler"the most high" if only he could try to do something once his life go by the biblical way,being a humble sherpad..i think he will see what ganja is...blessed.

separate the comments from the researched texts

cigrettes cause cancer and Marijuana cures it why are people acting so confused. Marijuana should be sold right beside cigrettes, better yet cigrettes should have Marijuana recomendation next to its warning label. No wait even better swap the two(making cigrettes illegal) , cause i have asthma.

Thanks, Dad, I was hoping that someone would revive this story now that we have a president. California has introduced a bill for the taxation and regulation of marijuana now and everyone else should follow suit.

I think marijuana should not be legalized for the fact that we're in a reccession (though getting better) and legalizing pot would mean more people just sitting at home getting high instead of going to work to fuel our economy. That's why the 18th ammendment was created and pot is not different than booze. HOWEVER we waste thousands of money procescuting people who were caught with pot. And it does bring in money if you pay taxes on it like they do in Cali. Still i think the subject should be dropped we have more important things to discuss then wanting to get high legally.

Mandi you mention the fact that we are in a reccession. And you think that legalizing it would cause people to get lazy and stay home and do nothing. Well lets look at this. How do you feel about alcohol? People can sit at home and drink their hearts away and then decide well im out of beer need to go get some more, they get in their car(drunk) to go get more beer and hit a car killing a child in it. Marijuana does not affect your brain like alcohol. So if it isnt any worse than beer, then why shouldnt it be made legal. People will keep doing it legal or not. And if it is legal i am sure the government will control it by taxation and that will create a heck of a lot of revenue and maybe just maybe help to get our economy headed in the right direction.

Mandi, weed is actually keeping money flowing in our ecomnomy, when alot of do there bills the set aside money specifically for weed taxing it i agree would make since.

let me get in on this,, i think green is great i think that it should be legal all the way now what are you gonna do the next time your girl breaks up with you you wanna know what ima do ima go spark up a blunt america is ready for it to be leagal..... also i think weed stimulates the mind in stead of the next time you wanna go kill yourself cause you gotta pay bills and you are in debt just go spark some cannabis

Kudos to you pops,, im also tired of our corrupt government making up fake statistics, i never been head counted as a smoker, for them to say only a quarter of america smokes, and only one percent is in jail for cannabis. Out of everyone i know and meet 3 out of 4 of them smoke. they need to recount the stoner population especially schools and urban neighborhoods

Mr.President, i know you need to stop frontin you and the whole U.S know you wanna make it leagal,, tell me why most people in the music industry smokes and are very successful. most people in fame do smoke and it help with lots of creative based jobs "Mandi" i bet i can name 5 people that smoke on a daily basis and are way wealthier than you are.

Marijuana SHOULD BE LEGALIZED! I have been smoking Marijuana for quite a while now I graduated High School smoking weed, Graduated College smoking weed I see no sence in Marijuana being illegal IN ANY STATE! I have friends form way back in High School that still smoke weed and we still hang together and STILL SMOKE WEED! I have an education marijuana did not stop me and i dont belive it would stop anyone.I some Marijuana everyday all day! WE ARE TIRED OF GOING TO JAIL FOR SMOKING MARIJUANA!! If it is legalized it will help out the economy A while lot and stop alott of inocent people from going to jail for smoking Marijuana. MARIJUANA SHOULD BE LEGALIZED IN ALL STATES NOT JUST ONE

kudos 2 Marco,, it makes no sense spending millions on sending potheads 2 jail i dont feel any safer if there off the streets. i actually feel more in dangered