i am interested if a credible argument can be made.

__________________

No, it can not.

__________________
"Jesus said: I have cast fire upon the world, and behold I guard it until it is ablaze."
Gospel of Thomas

well boy oh boy... thank god you two settled that.

I'm all for legalizing drugs. Not so much for their own merits as I am against the money we waste going after them.

__________________
I have a Theory that the truth is never told between nine to five hours" - HST

The US government doesn't want or need the billions in tax revenue that legalization would generate each and every year ?

__________________
Want government run healthcare? Join the military.

Marijuana should remain illegal because the WOD employs countless cops, lawyers, judges, prison guards, you name it. What on earth would your local police department have to do if they didn't have to go after all the filthy drug users they can find?

__________________
"My country is the world, and my religion is to do good." --Thomas Paine

It would fatally panty-wad the religious/pollyanesque paragons of clean living virtue and bring into question many of the jobs now held by (IMO, having met many) border-line unhinged idiots who work for the DEA.

I'm for legalization, for what it's worth.

Can I suggest this is actually a symptom of a deeper problem in our govt. It's currently common practice to legislate against things we "just don't like".

Pot is illegal cuz "people we don't like" smoked it, way back when. Go back and look at the reasons given, the testimony for banning the sale of pot. They make it very clear. Pot was the drug of choice for black jazz musicians and Mexican immigrants.

I also think it's fascinating how they worked the legal maneuver to make it illegal. Technically, pot is not illegal. It's only that you have to purchase a "tax stamp" to sell it . . . and then they never issued any of those stamps. A clear abuse of power.

:-)

Life is fascinating.

That was originally true, but not any longer. When Nixon passed the "Controlled Substances Act", the Fed dropped even the pretense of constitutionality.

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

Oddly enough, the stupidity of the criminalization of marijuana is one of the few things most people on this site agree on, liberal and conservative.

Support for the legalization for marijuana has been growing steadily year after year, as well. While I don't see it becoming legal any time soon, I wouldn't be totally shocked if penalties for possession were reduced some time in the future.

__________________
“If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.” - Carl Sagan

Remember to submit your nominations for the U.S. Politics Online Alternative Awards!

Please tell me this is a joke.

I didn't realize me smoking a joint made me a filthy drug user. I guess all people who drink are just filthy drunks. OOOOPSIE.... that is YOUR drug of choice and since YOUR drug of choice is legal, that means that it is ok.

We won't compare alcohol deaths and marijuana deaths.

Yes, true, thanks!

:-(

This is an excellent article about Harry Anslinger and why marijuana was made illegal to begin with. It was not made illegal due to any scientific data or research.

Why is Marijuana Illegal?

I think that the legality of marijuana is like a litmus test for stupid people that blindly follow the government. If you really believe that marijuana should be illegal, I think that you are a nothing more than an ignorant dolt who believes everything the government says.

There was an excellent documentary series, "Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way", I've seen on Discovery Channel or one of those.

I highly recommend it.

Marijuana has many benefits and is a boon to society.

1. It distorts the users perception of the world around him/her and allows him to relax--"Just chill out, man!"

2. It effectively impairs drivers and slows their reactions during emergency situations, resulting in more injuries and fatalities than we might otherwise achieve. "Just stack the bodies over here, Milton."

3. It diverts household money away from such useless pursuits as feeding children, education, clothing, and soap, and allows these funds to be spent producing great clouds of carbon-based pollutant. "Cough! Cough! Damn that's good!"

4. It provides an income for Mexican bandits and border smugglers, who might otherwise turn to more serious crime, like banking.

5. It gives politicians something to talk about when they have just demonstrated their inability to deal with the important challenges facing the nation, state, community. "We must banish the evil WEED from our midst! That's our most important job!"

6. It provides endless hours of amusement to participants in on-line discussion groups, who would otherwise be challenged to find solutions to real problems.

Seen 'em

That is why I believe that people who believe the government about the WOD are dolts. There is TOOOOOO much information out there. If people really wanted to educate themselves on the subject, they could. But, it is easier to believe whatever the government spoon feeds them.

When the drug laws cause more family turmoil than the actual drugs do, there is a problem. When the drug laws destroy families and not the drugs themselves, there is something seriously wrong.

I smoke. I like to smoke. I would rather smoke than drink. I have NEVER been so high that I did something that I regretted. I have never been so high that I got into a fight with someone that I didn't know because I "thought" they did something wrong to me. I have never been to high that I thought it was a good idea to drive my car while intoxicated. I could go on... but you get the picture.

Now... alcohol on the other hand, makes people COMPLETELY out of control if they drink enough.

I watched a show (I think it may have been a Histor Channel special) about the prohibition of alcohol. EVERY LAST problem that was caused by the prohibition of alcohol is seen in the prohibition of marijuana. But, for some reason, the American people aren't smart enough to catch on.

I am done arguing with people about "WHY" marijuana should be legal. I support organizations that are making headway for the decriminalization of marijuana and reforming marijuana laws. 13 states so far have made changes in their laws for marijuana.

And, if you want to say marijuana makes you stupid... well... I guess Obama isn't as smart as some would like to believe.... he used to be a big smoker... not to mention a coke head.