California's Bill to Legalize Recreational Marijuana, Should the Rest of the Country Follow Suit?
Low and behold with a quick google I found plenty of reading material on the pro side of the discussion. We all after all know the con side. Few of us don't know a neighbor, family or friend who has been devastated by drug abuse. In the 90's marijuana was labeled a gateway drug for worse, far more serious abuse of hard core narcotics, amphetamines, psychedelics and pills of enormous diversity. I'm not sure that was ever proven but it seemed a reasonable argument to many former pot smokers who grew up to be parents of teenagers, and I will personally argue that street weed sold in the 90s may sometimes be laced with dangerous substances that we certainly wouldn't want for our loved ones or ourselves to consume. But for every user who happened upon heroin or cocaine you could still find plenty who didn't.
My google search came up with an article about marijuana and the national economy. According to Mike Moffat on about.com, over 500 economists have endorsed the legalization of marijuana, many of them quite notable. He says in his article that the group of economists have sent a letter to the President, Congress, Governors and State Legislatures siting the savings and revenue that the country would reap if only weed were legal and taxed like other commodities. We're talking millions and billions here not chicken feed. I suggest checking it out for anyone who doubts.
The punishment for possession of marijuana varies from a traffic ticket like fine for a first offense of a small quantity to years in prison and varies state by state; the same goes for the sale of marijuana. I've included the link for information of New York State penalites as an example. There is no national norm but there are federal offenses. Therefore California would probably first have to convince the federal government to legalize marijuana. I don't think I'll see that in my lifetime.
Proponents of legalization site the lifting of prohibition during the depression. Opponents say that's just crazy and rightfully would be very, very slow to change the national war on drugs to exclude smoking weed. Regardless, it's an interesting debate and one that will, given the economic state of the union, likely float to the front burner eventually.
Published by Louisa Burgess
Life long NYer. Expressing myself through the written word has been my lifelong hobby and vocation. Somehow I managed to raise two sons and actually worked for a living! Recently moved to Texas!Louisa Burges... View profile
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Argument for the Legalization of MarijuanaI think that the medicinal and the recreational use of Marijuana should be allowed and there are facts that support this idea.- The War on Drugs is Really the War on MarijuanaA position paper on Republican Party scare tactics and myths. Is marijuana really that bad, or is it comparable to alcohol?
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27 Comments
Post a CommentIliveinWisconsin.Thiscanonlyhelpmycause!!!Leagalize!!!!!!!!!!!
VOTE YES FOR RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA VOTE YESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hate hearing all this gateway crap. Cigarettes were my gateway into weed when i was a teen. Cars are the gateway to hit and runs. Guns are the gateway to murder. So does this mean we should make all possible gateways to bad things illegal?
Oh, and by the way, the federal government doesn't have to "legalize" marijuana. I laughed when I read that, seriously. They only have to remove it from Schedule one and it's over. They're back is in quite the corner, too. There is evidence that marijuana has medicinal benefits, don't 14 of our states have it legalized for medical reasons?
Marijuana is not a gateway drug. It is absolutely ludicrous that we still hear this term. As the writer of this article has even said, it is not proven. But, what is proven? As far as modern science, yes, science, has proven, marijuana is a godsend. But think about it, if in fact, you are not thick of the skull. Lets say Johnny Blue wants to try some marijuana, he's 15, he's done some study on it. But oh wait, Marijuana is Illegal, so Johnny Blue really only has one choice; drug dealer. Johnny Blue loves marijuana, it is, after all, a godsend. Johnny continues to visit this drug dealer. Johnny sort of becomes friends with this drug dealer even. This drug dealer is a business man, he doesn't care about his friends well being, so he manipulates this "friendship" and persuades Johnny to try his more expensive, more addictive harder drugs. Mr. Drug dealer has a customer for life.
If criminals are selling other harder drugs and are also selling marijuana most of their sales are probally coming from marijuana. if you legalize it and big companys sell it for cheaper then those drug dealers could get shut down.
As a teanager i do not agree that Marijuana leads to gateway drugs. I've had the oportunity to do them. i choose not to for the fact that many of them drugs will in matter of fact get me into way to much trouble. and considering i have an addictive personality that would b very bad for me. I completely agree with the recreatinoal use of marijuana, i live in MN so i dnt understand what good its going to do for me. But maybe if california legalizes other states will follow. personally i believe if all the states taxed it and made it like cigarettes and alcohol then maybe we could take apart that major debt that we are so deeply in, and then maybe the english dollar will gain some of its worth back. i mean considering the english dollar is worth jack didly squat now days.... butttt thats just my opinion and well thanks for reading my comment.
Marijuana should be legalized for the simple reason that in 2008 it was the number one cash crop in America. Turn a loss into a gain. Instead of wasting millions unsuccessfully enforcing failed policy, and crowding up court systems and prisons that we already don't have room for violent offenders in.
(continued)With these facts now public knowledge, and the fact that enforcing a law that waste tax payer money that could be used in fighting more dangerous illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine, or could be used in Health Care, why is marijuana still illegal?
(continue)THC), as a threat to his interests in the timber industry, so naturally he attacked marijuana to countered this threat.
The result as we see today is deforrestization which has aided global warming.
Like Hurst, DuPont saw hemp, which could also be used for making clothes, as a threat to their new, chemical-based product Nylon, which was patended in 1938, a year after marijuana and hemp were made illegal.
"Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use." Jimmy Carter, August 2, 1977.
About the same time, Jimmy also told congress that America should also develope alturnate fuels sources during our first energy crisis to decrease our dependence on Saudi oil.
Congress didn't listen to him on either subject and look where we are now.
With these facts now public knowledge, and the fact that enforc