Marijuana use? Legalize it?

[Papa Deuce]

Poll coming...

 

[N.Bailey]

While I don't use it personally, I feel it should be legal, but sold only to persons over the age of 21 like alcohol is. Our prisons are way over crowded and we can't even keep pedophiles locked up right now. I say, clear those cells and make room for the real "Bad Guys."

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

I voted 100% legal but with the token restrictions the govt. has on smokes and alcohol. I say token, because everyone knows underage persons have no problem getting these products. I also think it should be taxed.

Our prision system is overcrowded without the pot users and sellers in it. I don't believe making pot legal will pave the way to make other drugs legal; but since we can't stop their use why not make them legal and tax those too. Think of all the extra tax income we'd have.

 

[Papa Deuce]

While I don't use it personally, I feel it should be legal, but sold only to persons over the age of 21 like alcohol is. Our prisons are way over crowded and we can't even keep pedophiles locked up right now. I say, clear those cells and make room for the real "Bad Guys."

Pretty much how I feel about it. But keep those who get busted for driving under the influence penalties very strict.

 

[minnieandmickeymouse]

While I don't use it personally, I feel it should be legal, but sold only to persons over the age of 21 like alcohol is. Our prisons are way over crowded and we can't even keep pedophiles locked up right now. I say, clear those cells and make room for the real "Bad Guys."

I agree 100%

 

[BillSears]

I don't use it personally because it's illegal. But to me it's no worse then alcohol and should be just as legal as that is.

 

[sue1013]

I consider pot to be the same as alcohol. Might as well make some tax money.

 

[shelby_36]

It should stay illegal. i know many people who have used it "suuposedly harmlessly" for years and they are idiots. most of them don't keep a job and most of them can't have an intelligent conversation. Pot kills brain cells and is very dangerous.

 

[Miranda Danda]

It should stay illegal. i know many people who have used it "suuposedly harmlessly" for years and they are idiots. most of them don't keep a job and most of them can't have an intelligent conversation. Pot kills brain cells and is very dangerous.

Agree.

Although prison cells are over crowding, I don't think we should should start to legalize things we deem as "harmless" or "least important". The reason prisons are over crowding is because tough reactive penalties to things that happen. Mandatory sentences are causing over crowding. I am not saying I agree or disagree. Just something to think about.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Legalize it. Lots of benefits to pot use. It is a shame.

 

[N.Bailey]

Agree.

Although prison cells are over crowding, I don't think we should should start to legalize things we deem as "harmless" or "least important". The reason prisons are over crowding is because tough reactive penalties to things that happen. Mandatory sentences are causing over crowding. I am not saying I agree or disagree. Just something to think about.

The bottom line however is, we don't have the funds to build all the new prisons that we need to house all the inmates. Pedophiles are getting a slap on the wrist and sent on their merry way. Murderers are serving minimum sentences and are paroled and many tend to re-offend (unless it was a high profile case). All this stems from the overcrowding and until we deal with that, things will not change. Do you want your tax dollars paying to house someone who smoked pot (regardless of how you feel about it) or do you want your tax dollars housing inmates that would harm your family, friends, or neighbors? Sadly, it comes down to this.

Off topic:
Your pics are absolutely beautiful!

 

[mickman1962]

It should stay illegal. i know many people who have used it "suuposedly harmlessly" for years and they are idiots. most of them don't keep a job and most of them can't have an intelligent conversation. Pot kills brain cells and is very dangerous.

I have (in the past) smoked with actors, state troopers, college professors, even a member of the US Olympic marathon team. I have known a lot idiots who can't have an intelligent conversation but it has never been related to marijuana. It's use is far more widespread then you think. Money even had an article recently on CEO's and high ranking businessmen using it more then alcohol as they feel it impairs their judgement less. I am not saying we need to go around smoking pot all day but there is a time and a place for most things. whether the govt. chooses to agree or not. Hell cigarettes kill more people then anything else on this planet and they are still legal.

 

[swilphil]

Definitely needs to be legalized for legitimate medicinal purposes. I do think the way the legal system handles drug offenders needs to change. Rehab instead of jail time should be the norm.

The main problem I have with making it legal is what we will do if it doesn't work out and the government wants to make it illegal again. Then you have the whole Prohibition scenario all over again. I used to be in favor of legalizing pot, but someone pointed out to me that our society already has so many problems with alcohol abuse that you don't want to add to it. I've known many divorces that were the result of substance abuse and many more children whose lives were permanently altered because of drug or alcohol abuse in the family.

After working with thousands of high school kids, I have to say legalizing pot for adults is only going to make the drug problem worse. Some kids will be more likely to use pot because it's more accessible. Those kids who always want to do what they aren't supposed to will turn to harsher drugs.

Frankly, our government has so many other more critical issues to address right now. I don't want to see a lot of time and money being spent focusing on legalizing pot.

 

[Miranda Danda]

The bottom line however is, we don't have the funds to build all the new prisons that we need to house all the inmates. Pedophiles are getting a slap on the wrist and sent on their merry way. Murderers are serving minimum sentences and are paroled and many tend to re-offend (unless it was a high profile case). All this stems from the overcrowding and until we deal with that, things will not change. Do you want your tax dollars paying to house someone who smoked pot (regardless of how you feel about it) or do you want your tax dollars housing inmates that would harm your family, friends, or neighbors? Sadly, it comes down to this.

Off topic:
Your pics are absolutely beautiful!

I understand your points. This is a very touchy subject to some people and it can be very confusing. Being a Criminal Justice graduate I can get carried away with this issue and defend it many ways as well as oppose it many ways.

Thank you for the compliments on my pictures

 

[MosMom]

It should stay illegal. i know many people who have used it "suuposedly harmlessly" for years and they are idiots. most of them don't keep a job and most of them can't have an intelligent conversation. Pot kills brain cells and is very dangerous.

I think a LOT more people than you know are smoking pot and are far from idiots. Neighbors, coworkers, friends have talked about either doing it now on ocassion (about as often as they drink) or doing it in the past. For the record, I am not a pot smoker.

Source: NIDA Research Monographs (These are overdose numbers)

Tobacco kills around 390,000.
Alcohol kills around 80,000. (Add another 25,000 for drunk driving)
Secondhand smoke from tobacco kills around 50,000.
Cocaine kills around 2,200.
Heroin kills around 2,000.
Aspirin kills around 2,000.
Marijuana has killed 0. (I couldn't find stats on marijuana driving)

Cigarettes kill 390,000 people per YEAR! Seems we're fighting a war on the wrong drugs.

 

[disney4us2002]

Yuck. I find any kind of smoking gross but I do think it should be legal for medicinal purposes only. If it's rampant, people do a great job hiding it because I don't know a single person that admittedly uses it. I believe it is a stepping stone to other drug use and that was never a path I wanted to walk down.

Question for those saying rehab is better than jail time. One of the biggest arguments for legalizing pot is that it isn't addictive. If true, what would be the point of rehab? Rehab and detox are definitely needed but it seems many don't address the "whys" of addiction. I accept drug abuse and alcoholism are diseases but once the physical addiction is overcome there are still the reasons that brought people to the brink in the first place.

Mosmom, one of the things I learned as a Psych major in college is how to sway stats in any favor I choose. I'm not discounting the facts as presented only saying there is always room for interpretation. My understanding from continuing ed classes mandatory for social workers is that marijuana smoking is indeed linked to cancer just as cigarettes, pipes, etc. Smoking anything is bad for you.

 

[shelby_36]

The bottom line however is, we don't have the funds to build all the new prisons that we need to house all the inmates. Pedophiles are getting a slap on the wrist and sent on their merry way. Murderers are serving minimum sentences and are paroled and many tend to re-offend (unless it was a high profile case). All this stems from the overcrowding and until we deal with that, things will not change. Do you want your tax dollars paying to house someone who smoked pot (regardless of how you feel about it) or do you want your tax dollars housing inmates that would harm your family, friends, or neighbors? Sadly, it comes down to this.

Off topic:
Your pics are absolutely beautiful!

Following your comments. So lets say we legalize it to save overcrowding in the prisions. What do we legalize next time overcrowding becomes a problem? theft? battery? child abuse? Overcrowding in prisions is a lame excuse to legalize pot..

 

[shelby_36]

Legalize it. Lots of benefits to pot use. It is a shame.

Such as?

 

[RadioNate]

I don't want to see a lot of time and money being spent focusing on legalizing pot.

WHat about the time and money being spent on fighting the 'drug war' focusing on pot? Surely the resources we are spending on proscuiting low level drug offenders/run of the mill pot smokers could be better spent on something else.

I'm not 100% certain on how I feel about legalization. I don't think blanket ILLEGALIZATION is the answer. I think marijuana has some legimiate medical uses that should be explored.

I also believe there are more dangerous, legal substances.

swilphil - Please don't think I'm picking on you. I think you made some great points. I'm just using your post as a jumping off point to further discussion. The last time I quoted someone in a discussion they freaked out, said I was picking on them and announced they were leaving the dis so I'm a little gun shy.

 

[N.Bailey]

Following your comments. So lets say we legalize it to save overcrowding in the prisions. What do we legalize next time overcrowding becomes a problem? theft? battery? child abuse? Overcrowding in prisions is a lame excuse to legalize pot..

Pot is no more harmful than alcohol and statistics back that up. You can't say the same for the other things you've mentioned.

Personally, I say we execute all inmates that have been convicted of 1st degree premeditated murder to control the over crowding issue more, but hey, that's another debate and one MANY don't agree with either.