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Gameover wrote:I'm all for legalizing marijuana. The war on drugs has been one big epic fail. Marijuana is not a drug anymore then alcohol is (they both change your mental state)but the difference would be that alcohol kills thousands a year vs 0 deaths form marijuana. If they want to use it let them who are we to say they cant.

Without a doubt the war on drugs has been an epic fail. But I don't think legalizing cannabis will help anything either. I just think what was a judicial expense will become a medical/rehab expense. I have been studying the biology of addiction for the last year. One reason I think, and the research seems to back it up, is that alcohol kills more people than marijuana because it is legal, socially acceptable, and promoted in was that make it seem fun, cool, and a way to kick back and relax. I have not problem with alcohol and enjoy a glass of wine myself every now and then. But alcoholism is a severe problem for millions of Americans. Another reason I am skeptical of legalizing cannabis is once the federal govt starts getting $$ out of the deal via taxes, it will never go away. Just like I don't think cigarettes will ever be banned or a cure for cancer will ever be found. As sad as it is, both make too much money for the medical industry and the government. It creates a cyclical problem: legalized substance, govt taxes it to make money, people get addicted and need help, the medical industry makes money on rehab, and addicted people don't get cured - they go into recovery and have to deal with addiction all their life because the substance permanently altered their brain's functioning.

The war on drugs is a mega waste of money and it failed. But from what I know about addiction and drugs, I can't see that legalizing it will help either. Just my 10cents (haha)

urnoodle wrote:

Tallinthesaddle wrote:My first thought was, wonder how long will it take to trickle down to underage kids? Alcohol sure has.

It already has trickled down. The only difference now is that it's illegal for both adults and kids.

Exactly! There is more underage marijuana use by teenager than there is alcohol consumption. Statistically, cnnabis is a gateway drug to all other substances. The 7-14yr old age range usually moves from inhalants to marijuana and then on to alcohol and harder drugs in their later teen years. One of the major reasons states are contemplating decriminalizing (or already have) cannabis is because its effects are "less harmful" biologically than alcohol or cigarettes. The concern I have about making another substance legal is despite the fact that it is less harmful than alcohol, cannabis still does affect brain development. These substances do permanently alter brain structure when they are used on a regular basis for a prolonged period of time- another way for the rising generation to become even more stupid but in a permanent way.

I don't care one way or the other if cannabis is legalized. The system is so broken as it is, legal or illegal, I don't think it is going to make that big of a difference. Legalizing cannabis means state won't have to waste taxpayer money to house offenders who get thrown in jail for a little while before they are release to become a repeat offender. But on the flip side, there are going to health consequences from using that will get handed off to the socialized medicine program and the judicial system is still going to have to deal with people doing stupid things or harming other people while they are high. Until the symptom stops being the focus, trading a judicial financial burden for a medical financial burden is just trading seats on the titanic. Biochemically, eventually a marijuana user stops being able to feel the effects of the cannabis because their body builds up a tolerance and they either have to stop using for a while (which is almost impossible when you are an addict unless the intent is sobriety) or move on to something harder to keep chasing the first high they experienced.